Showing results for ascend. Search instead for ascvd.

Synonyms

ascend

American

[uh-send] / əˈsɛnd /

verb (used without object)

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

The airplane ascended into the clouds.

Synonyms:

soar

Antonyms:

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

to ascend to the presidency.
to go toward the source or beginning; go back in time.
Music. to rise in pitch; pass from any tone to a higher one.

verb (used with object)

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

to ascend a lookout tower;
to ascend stairs.

Antonyms:

descend
to gain or succeed to; acquire.

to ascend the throne.

ascend British

/ əˈsɛnd /

verb

to go or move up (a ladder, hill, slope, etc); mount; climb
(intr) to slope or incline upwards
(intr) to rise to a higher point, level, degree, etc
to follow (a river) upstream towards its source
to trace (a genealogy, etc) back in time
to sing or play (a scale, arpeggio, etc) from the lower to higher notes
to become king or queen

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See climb.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of ascend

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”

Explanation

To ascend is to move or travel upwards. You can do this literally, like when you ascend to 35,000 feet after your plane takes off, or figuratively, like when you win the lottery and ascend to a higher social class. Riding the escalators in the department store is one way to amuse yourself while your parents shop. You can ascend all the way to the 8th floor, and then descend back to the ground floor. Both ascend and descend come from the Latin verb scandere, which means "to climb." It's the prefixes that make all the difference. The a- of ascend makes the word mean "climb up," while the de- of its antonym makes descend mean "climb down."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing ascend

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act III

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, Part Six

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Beowulf vocabulary

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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.

Ever since, fans have been hoping she'll ascend to the top of the Pyramid Stage.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

Participants also reported how many flights of stairs they climbed daily, based on the estimate that each flight takes 8 seconds to ascend.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

He was also the youngest man to ascend to the world number one ranking.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

I passed the bridge of Pélissier, where the ravine, which the river forms, opened before me, and I began to ascend the mountain that overhangs it.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023