massif

noun

mas·​sif ma-ˈsēf 

1

: a principal mountain mass

2

: a block of the earth's crust bounded by faults or flexures and displaced as a unit without internal change

Examples of massif in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Furthermore, the rapidly warming Himalayan climate is making the carapace of snow and ice that covers much of the Everest massif more unstable, which makes the icefall more likely to be the site of another mass-casualty event like the avalanche that killed 16 Nepali workers on April 14, 2014. —Jon Krakauer, The Atlantic, 4 May 2026

Eventually the entire massif stands exposed: a solitary block of limestone rising 1,800 feet above the Mojave floor. —Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026

Curving around the glistening, glacial Sarmiento Lake, an amphitheater of rooms gazes up at the Paine massif, with scenes constantly shifting depending on the time of day. —Sarah Marshall, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

Currently there are two gaps, one of five miles on the northeast aspect of the Pikes Peak massif, another of eight miles on its southwest aspect near Cripple Creek. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from massif, adjective, from Middle French, alteration of Old French massiz

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for massif

• belief
• broadleaf
• debrief
• flyleaf
• khalif
• kharif
• longleaf
• motif
• relief
• saif
• serif
• beef