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

There are also many wonderful properties in the mountainous region of Jabal Akhdar, including Alila Jabal Akhdar and Anantara Al Jabal Akhdar Resort. —Mo Noubani, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2024

With Tennessee’s numerous rural, mountainous regions, families are often far from food banks or other meal distribution sites. —Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024

More than 210 spring tunnels are known in the mountainous area of the Southern Levant, demonstrating perhaps the densest region of such constructions worldwide. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024

The National Weather Service cautioned gusty winds are still expected through Wednesday morning, particularly in mountainous areas. —Hanna Park, Robert Shackelford and Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Dec. 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