ascend

[uh-send]

verb (used without object)

1. to move, climb, or go upward; mount; rise.

   The airplane ascended into the clouds.

   Synonyms: soar
   Antonyms: descend

2. to slant upward.

3. to rise to a higher point, rank, or degree; proceed from an inferior to a superior degree or level.

   to ascend to the presidency.

4. to go toward the source or beginning; go back in time.

5. Music.,  to rise in pitch; pass from any tone to a higher one.

verb (used with object)

1. to go or move upward upon or along; climb; mount.

   to ascend a lookout tower;

   to ascend stairs.

   Antonyms: descend

2. to gain or succeed to; acquire.

   to ascend the throne.

ascend

/ əˈsɛnd /

verb

1. to go or move up (a ladder, hill, slope, etc); mount; climb

2. (intr) to slope or incline upwards

3. (intr) to rise to a higher point, level, degree, etc

4. to follow (a river) upstream towards its source

5. to trace (a genealogy, etc) back in time

6. to sing or play (a scale, arpeggio, etc) from the lower to higher notes

7. to become king or queen

Other Word Forms

• ascendable adjective
• ascendible adjective
• reascend verb
• unascendable adjective
• unascended adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ascend¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English ascenden, from Anglo-French ascendre, from Latin ascendere “to climb up,” from a- a- ⁵ + -scendere, combining form of scandere “to climb”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ascend¹

C14: from Latin ascendere, from scandere

Synonym Study

See climb.

Example Sentences

Beloved in colonial America, hard cider lost favor in the mid-19th century as crisp lagers ascended; the temperance movement and Prohibition felled cider-apple trees.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

For many years, scientists believed that most bubbles developed only when magma ascended and the surrounding pressure fell.

Read more on Science Daily

China has increased its oil imports and stockpiles as its economy has ascended over the past two decades.

Read more on Barron's

Hesitantly, the crowd of about 150 passed the newly-installed gate on the road to the camp, before stopping and chanting at its entrance, an ascending street now littered with rubble from damaged homes.

Read more on Barron's

It isn’t getting easier to ascend to the highest ranks of McKinsey.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• climb 
• escalate 
• move up 
• soar 
• take off