mountainous

adjective

moun·​tain·​ous ˈmau̇n-tə-nəs 

ˈmau̇nt-nəs

1

: containing many mountains

2

: resembling a mountain : huge

mountainously adverb

mountainousness noun

Synonyms

• astronomical
• astronomic
• Brobdingnagian
• bumper
• colossal
• cosmic
• cosmical
• cyclopean
• elephantine
• enormous
• galactic
• gargantuan
• giant
• gigantesque
• gigantic
• grand
• herculean
• heroic
• heroical
• Himalayan
• huge
• humongous
• humungous
• immense
• jumbo
• king-size
• king-sized
• leviathan
• mammoth
• massive
• mega
• mighty
• monster
• monstrous
• monumental
• oceanic
• pharaonic
• planetary
• prodigious
• super
• super-duper
• supersize
• supersized
• titanic
• tremendous
• vast
• vasty
• walloping
• whacking
• whopping

Examples of mountainous in a Sentence

the seemingly mountainous obstacles he had to overcome while growing up

Recent Examples on the Web

This deluge raises the risk of flash flooding and mudslides, especially in Jamaica’s mountainous regions. —Mary Gilbert, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024

In the mountainous Aseer, a large province south of Al-Baha bordering the Red Sea, the regional dish is al-haneeth, which has origins in Yemen. —Paul Feinstein, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2024

With winter storm warnings spanning the state, voters might be convinced to stay home because of the weather, particularly those living in mountainous regions. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

Link River, just 1.5 miles long, is the beginning of the Klamath River, which meanders through 257 miles of sparsely populated, mountainous land in Southern Oregon and Northern California before flowing into the Pacific Ocean. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mounteynous, borrowed from Anglo-French muntaignus, from muntaigne, mountaigne mountain + -us -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

mountainous

adjective

moun·​tain·​ous ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn-əs 

-nəs

1

: having many mountains

2

: resembling a mountain : huge