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

Consumer spending has routinely surmounted expectations; the unemployment rate has remained in a limited range between 3.7% and 3.9% since last August; and GDP growth came in at a healthy, though slowing, 1.6% rate in the first quarter. —Will Daniel, Fortune, 13 May 2024

For Barnett, passion for the cause surmounted the fatigue from two days of intense questioning. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 16 Mar. 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