surmount

verb

sur·​mount sər-ˈmau̇nt 

surmounted; surmounting; surmounts

transitive verb

1

: to prevail over : overcome

surmount an obstacle

2

: to get to the top of : climb

3

: to stand or lie at the top of

4

obsolete : to surpass in quality or attainment : excel

surmountable

sər-ˈmau̇n-tə-bəl 

adjective

Did you know?

Our verb mount, meaning "ascend, get up onto", comes from the same Latin root as mountain, and we keep those images in mind when using surmount, since climbing up or over a mountain is a symbol of achievement. The word almost always refers to human effort, and almost always in a positive way; thus, we speak of surmounting difficulties, surmounting problems, surmounting hurdles, surmounting handicaps—you get the idea.

Synonyms

• beat
• best
• conquer
• defeat
• dispatch
• do down [British]
• get
• get around
• lick
• master
• overbear
• overcome
• overmatch
• prevail (over)
• skunk
• stop
• subdue
• take
• trim
• triumph (over)
• upend
• win (against)
• worst

Examples of surmount in a Sentence

an Olympic swimmer who surmounted endless obstacles to achieve her goals

Recent Examples on the Web

High-voltage towers surmounted this islet, the cables themselves, in the dimness, no more than spider’s silk floating in the air. —Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024

But what was the conflict that needed to be surmounted in order to bring us to this gushing catharsis? —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 20 June 2024

It’s also found ways to clear major technical hurdles that other attempts at this kind of iron refinement have failed to surmount. —Alison Van Houten, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

The electoral vote system is enshrined in the Constitution, and changing the law would require a constitutional amendment, a hurdle that's been too high to surmount. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French surmunter, from sur- + munter to mount

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Kids Definition

surmount

verb

sur·​mount sər-ˈmau̇nt 

1

: overcome sense 1

surmount an obstacle

2

: to get to the top of : climb

3

: to stand or lie at the top of : crown

a weather vane surmounts the roof

surmountable

-ə-bəl 

adjective