a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2,000 feet (610 meters).
a large mass of something resembling this, as in shape or size.
a huge amount.
a mountain of incoming mail.
(initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.
Also called mountain wine. British Archaic. a sweet Malaga wine.
of or relating to mountains.
mountain air.
living, growing, or located in the mountains.
mountain people.
resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size.
a natural upward projection of the earth's surface, higher and steeper than a hill and often having a rocky summit
( as modifier )
mountain people
mountain scenery
( in combination )
a mountaintop
a huge heap or mass
a mountain of papers
anything of great quantity or size
a surplus of a commodity, esp in the European Union
the butter mountain
informal a serious or considerable difficulty or obstruction to overcome
See molehill
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montānea (unrecorded), noun use of feminine of montāneus (unrecorded), from Latin montān(us) “mountainous” (from mont-, stem of mōns “hill, mountain” + -ānus -an ) + -eus, adjective suffix
A mountain is a large and often steep landmass that's much higher than the surrounding area. It's not to be confused with a molehill. The word mountain has been around since the 1200s. A mountain is much larger than an average hill; it's a mass of land that rises up to 2000 feet or so. Mountain does not always describe a land mass. It can also be used to refer to an undertaking, a pile of something, or even a large dose of trouble. You might have a mountain of mashed potatoes you don't want to eat, or a mountain of homework.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 1973 Mr. Schaller and the writer Peter Matthiessen hiked to the Crystal Mountain in the Nepalese Himalaya.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 8, 2026
Plus, Kodiak holds No. 1 or No. 2 positions in many of its local markets, including higher-growth areas like the Sunbelt and Mountain states.
From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026
Even “all deeply buried nuclear facilities” would leave room for chicanery, as the facility beneath Pickaxe Mountain could be excluded as a “construction site.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Attenborough approached the conservation charity Flora and Fauna, who set up the Mountain Gorilla Project to help protect the animals.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
But I swore to my father that I’d find the Mountain.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
