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• mountain
  mountain

  noun

  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).
• Mountain
  Mountain

  noun

  an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

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mountain

American  

[maun-tn] / ˈmaʊn tn /

noun

• mountains
  plural

1. 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).

2. a large mass of something resembling this, as in shape or size.

3. a huge amount.

   a mountain of incoming mail.

4. (initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.

5. Also called mountain wine. British Archaic. a sweet Malaga wine.

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adjective

1. of or relating to mountains.

   mountain air.

2. living, growing, or located in the mountains.

   mountain people.

3. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size.

idioms

1. make a mountain out of a molehill. molehill.

Mountain ¹ British  

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

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mountain ² British  

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. 1. a natural upward projection of the earth's surface, higher and steeper than a hill and often having a rocky summit

   2. ( as modifier )

      mountain people

      mountain scenery

   3. ( in combination )

      a mountaintop

2. a huge heap or mass

   a mountain of papers

3. anything of great quantity or size

4. a surplus of a commodity, esp in the European Union

   the butter mountain

5. informal a serious or considerable difficulty or obstruction to overcome

6. See molehill

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mountain Scientific  

/ moun′tən /

1. A generally massive and usually steep-sided, raised portion of the Earth's surface. Mountains can occur as single peaks or as part of a long chain. They can form through volcanic activity, by erosion, or by uplift of the continental crust when two tectonic plates collide. The Himalayas, which are the highest mountains in the world, were formed when the plate carrying the landmass of India collided with the plate carrying the landmass of China.

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mountain More Idioms  

1. see if the mountain won't come to Muhammad; make a mountain out of a molehill.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undermountain
  noun
• mountainless
  adjective
• submountain
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mountains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mountain

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mountain Mountain mountains

“The trade deficit is a mountain of a challenge for the EU,” Maroš Šefčovič, the EU trade commissioner, said last week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

We were travelling with Yemen's pro-government forces, catching glimpses of the Arabian Sea, and forbidding mountain peaks in the distance.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

Delgado-Aparicio compares the discovery to finding a more efficient route through a mountain range.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

The team on top of the mountain found Seibert’s name written in the trail register, proving he had reached the peak.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

I could live all alone, in a mountain cave far away from anyone, and herd goats and live off their milk and whatever the land would give me.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

It felt like the end of our Mountain State school experiment.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Suncor operates a refinery in Colorado, while ExxonMobil has deep ties to the Rocky Mountain state.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

“Nope,” my friend said as he downed his Mountain Dew and we both gorged on Sun Chips.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

While Carnegie Mellon operates satellite campuses in New York City; Mountain View, Calif.; and Qatar, serving up to a few hundred students each, Miami will be its largest expansion by far.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

‘I have to take it to the Mountain!’

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

A large swimming pool serves as the centerpiece of the outdoor entertaining space, with the elevated setting providing views of the city skyline and nearby mountains.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

That storm made landfall in the same Florida region as Isaias, but remained at tropical storm strength as it moved northward, dumping record amounts of rainfall into the mountains and leading to deadly flooding.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2026

Scientists surveying underwater mountains off Costa Rica have identified a remarkable new coral that is unlike any known coral family.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026

As in other resort towns, hotels and ski mountains were charging dizzying rates to keep up with operational costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

“Daisy,” I said, “is there really an old man of the mountains, and can he cause people to have bad luck?”

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• alp
• bluff
• butte
• cliff
• crag
• elevation
• eminence
• height
• mesa
• mount
• palisade
• peak
• pike
• precipice
• range
• ridge
• sierra
• tor
• volcano