ascending
Americanadjective
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moving upward; rising.
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Botany. growing or directed upward, especially obliquely or in a curve from the base.
adjective
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moving upwards; rising
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botany sloping or curving upwards
the ascending stem of a vine
Other Word Forms
- ascendingly adverb
- subascending adjective
Etymology
Origin of ascending
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at ascend, -ing 2
Explanation
If something is ascending, it's rising or moving up. At a hot air balloon race, you'll see dozens of ascending balloons. An ascending road appears to rise in front of you as it curves up over a hill, and an ascending bird flies up into the sky. To ascend is to rise, and the adjective ascending describes a rising or growing thing. You can also use it figuratively: "She's an ascending queen, rising to the throne after the death of her father." In Latin, ascendere, "to climb up," and also "to rise" or "to reach."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The ServiceNow terminal value is actually ascending as evidenced by the RPO,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
Ternus joined as a mechanical engineer in 2001, before ascending to the leadership team in 2013.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
And besides that, with their hard-fought Final Four victories Friday over Texas and Connecticut, respectively, barometers for other programs that dream of ascending to such elite heights.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026
A bullish ascending triangle took shape starting last October, gaining 15% in the first week after a favorable tariff ruling.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
Some pitches will get more emphasis than others; some will be used one way in an ascending melody and another way in a descending melody; some will be used in certain types of ornaments.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
