mountain

noun

moun·​tain ˈmau̇n-tᵊn How to pronounce mountain (audio)
Synonyms of mountainnext
often attributive
1
a
: a landmass that projects conspicuously above its surroundings and is higher than a hill
The sun set behind the mountains.
b
: an elongated ridge
2
a
: a great mass
… a mountain of a man …—David Butwin
b
: a vast number or quantity
a mountain of mail
a mountain of debt
see also:
make a mountain out of a molehill

Synonyms of mountain

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of mountain in a Sentence

She watched the sun set behind the mountains. a cabin in the mountains They both like mountain climbing. We've received a mountain of mail.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mohammad Farooq Azam from the environmental advocacy group International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which monitors Asia's high mountains, told NPR the Himalaya region is warming faster than the global average. — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 27 Aug. 2026 For the next several days, the mountains of West Virginia echoed with gunfire as Blair Mountain became a battlefield. — Katie Angell Britannica Editors Aug. 27, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Aug. 2026 Scientists say stronger early warning systems, better monitoring and faster cross-border information sharing will be increasingly important as temperatures rise and mountain landscapes become less stable. — Sibi Arasu, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026 There are also the pristine stretches of sand around Cape Peninsula, a rocky mountain that juts into the sea, including a large colony of African penguins on Boulders Beach, the surfers’ paradise of Llandudno, and nudist-friendly Sandy Bay. — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mountain

Word History

Etymology

Middle English montaine, monteine, mounteyne, borrowed from Anglo-French muntaine, monteigne, mountaigne "elevated region, mountain range, mountain" (also continental Old French, Middle French montagne), going back to Vulgar Latin *montānea, from Latin mont-, mons "mountain, hill" + Vulgar Latin *-ānea, collective suffix, from neuter plural of Latin -āneus (from -ānus -an entry 2 + -eus -eous) — more at mount entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of mountain was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing mountain

Rhymes for mountain

See All Rhymes for mountain

Browse Nearby Words

mountable
mountain
mountain accentor
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mountain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountain. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

mountain

noun
moun·​tain ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn How to pronounce mountain (audio)
1
: an elevation higher than a hill
2
: a great mass or huge number
a mountain of mail

More from Merriam-Webster on mountain

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mountain

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All