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 of ascend

• climb
• rise
• soar

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The store is anchored by a central staircase with a wrought-iron banister that ascends sinuously to the second floor, where Kiton is introducing a more intimate space dedicated to customization and made-to-measure. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026

The filmmakers, who have been actively marketing the doc, ascended to the top of a 12-story building on the Sunset strip in West Hollywood, CA Friday evening and successfully rappelled down the side. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2026

But with the arrival of the first season of 2025’s The Celebrity Traitors — undeniably one of the best pieces of reality TV Britain has seen in recent years — his star ascended even higher. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Oct. 2026

The eldest daughter of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Leonor de Borbón y Ortiz became first in line to the Spanish throne when her father ascended in 2014. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 28 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for ascend

• amend
• append
• attend
• backend
• befriend
• boyfriend
• commend
• compend
• contend
• defend
• depend
• descend

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