ascend

verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

ascended; ascending; ascends

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move upward

the balloon ascended

b

: to slope upward

The path ascends through the woods.

c

: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain

an ascending somatosensory pathway

2

a

: to rise from a lower level or degree

ascend to power

b

: to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession

c

: to pass from lower to higher musical notes

C – E ascending

transitive verb

1

: to go or move up

ascend a staircase

2

: to succeed to : occupy

ascend the throne

ascendable adjective

or ascendible

ə-ˈsen-də-bəl 

Synonyms

• arise
• aspire
• climb
• lift
• mount
• rise
• soar
• thrust
• up
• uprear
• uprise
• upthrust
• upturn

Examples of ascend in a Sentence

They watched their balloons slowly ascend into the sky.

Divers must not ascend too rapidly to the water's surface.

She believed that when she died, her soul would ascend to heaven.

Several paths ascend to the top of the mountain.

stairs ascending to the attic

John Adams ascended to the presidency in 1797.

She worked as a clerk before ascending to her current position.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Jabbari was arrested, then released, and Majors' star — which had quickly ascended in Hollywood in recent years — began to fall. —Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 29 Nov. 2023

As a result, until hiring equity is achieved across all of sport, the recent record breaking contracts for women head coaches will still not ascend to the levels of their men counterparts. —Lindsey Darvin, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023

Share [Findings] Children, unlike adults, are resilient against the Pinocchio Illusion when their fingers are pulled upward in sync with a tone ascending from 700 to 1200 Hz. —Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023

Napoleon ascends through shrewdness and dumb luck, taking advantage of anti-royalist sentiment one minute and crowning himself emperor the next. —Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023

The pieces either need to be in ascending or descending order or within the same space. —Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023

Despite getting no Grammy love, Morgan Wallen is one of the most commercially successful artists to have ascended this year. —Thania Garcia, Variety, 20 Nov. 2023

The single scores a fifth week at No. 1 on the Radio Songs chart; rises 8-5 on Streaming Songs, following a week at on top; and ascends 19-13 on Digital Song Sales, also after a week in charge. —Gary Trust, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2023

When the choreography follows suit — pushing toward the angular and Expressionist — the sequence ascends to some truly exciting heights. —Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ascendere, from ad- + scandere to climb — more at scan

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing ascend

• ascend (to) the throne

• ascend (to) the throne

Kids Definition

ascend

verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

: to go up : climb, rise

ascend a hill

smoke ascends

ascendable adjective

or ascendible

-ˈsen-də-bəl 

Medical Definition

ascend

intransitive verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

: to move upward: as

a

: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain

nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain

ascending and descending tracts

b

: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system

ascending paralysis