adjective
-
of or relating to mountains
a mountainous region
-
like a mountain, esp in size or impressiveness
Other Word Forms
- mountainously adverb
- mountainousness noun
- nonmountainous adjective
- nonmountainously adverb
- semimountainous adjective
- semimountainously adverb
- unmountainous adjective
Etymology
Origin of mountainous
First recorded in 1400–50, mountainous is from the late Middle English word mounteynous. See mountain, -ous
Vocabulary lists containing mountainous
South America - Middle School
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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Mexico - Introductory
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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 former Royal Marine was found in the remote mountainous area of Kintail in the north-west Highlands on Saturday.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
She was “able to amazingly quickly cross quite mountainous terrain,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
The aviator survived and evaded capture for 36 hours in a remote, mountainous part of Iran, with local forces trying to hunt him down.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
That had sparked a race over the weekend in mountainous terrain, with images posted on social media of US aircraft and helicopters flying low over Iran as part of search-and-rescue operations.
From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026
The wind tore wildly around the world, whipping up the snow in mountainous drifts, breaking frozen branches off trees, sending icicles clattering to the glassy ground.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
