ascent

noun

as·​cent ə-ˈsent 

a-

1

a

: the act of rising or mounting upward : climb

completed their ascent of the mountain

b

: an upward slope or rising grade : acclivity

followed the steep ascent to the top of the hill

c

: the degree of elevation : inclination, gradient

2

: an advance in social status or reputation : progress

their ascent from the lower class to the middle class

3

: a going back in time or upward in order of genealogical succession

Synonyms of ascent

• climb
• ascension

Examples of ascent in a Sentence

They followed a steep ascent to the top of the hill.

our plane broke through some heavy low clouds during its ascent and leveled off once we were above them

Recent Examples on the Web

To see Ben’s growth, to see Jon, his rapid ascent, and to see the team’s success, to see DA — there’s a tremendous sense of pride watching your buddies do such great things professionally. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026

His ascent was fueled by an outstanding performance during the 2025 season, sharing Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year honors, standing out at the NFL Combine and nailing in-person interviews. —Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026

But their twin ascents could not have been foreseen based on fair-to-middlin’ careers with the Bay Area schools. —Jon Wilner, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026

DeepSeek’s ascent since last year, however, has come with skepticism. —John Liu, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

irregular from ascend

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for ascent

• accent
• advent
• assent
• augment
• cement
• consent
• dement
• descent
• detent
• dissent
• event
• extent

Kids Definition

ascent

noun

as·​cent ə-ˈsent 

a-

1

: the act of rising or climbing up

began their ascent of the mountain

2

: an upward slope