- present participle of ascend.
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
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.
“I had the cool experience of actually ascending into the treehouse,” said Kim Cooper, co-owner of Esotouric tours and former visitors to the treehouse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
For more context, here is a look at the 11 sectors of the S&P 500, showing forward P/E ratios, sorted ascending, those at the end of 2025 and year-to-date weighted price changes.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026
A mantle plume ascending from deep within the mantle whose constituent material differs chemically from the surrounding mantle and may include components derived from ancient oceanic crust.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026
Additionally, "Royal accounts show sovereign paid £30m in tax since ascending to throne" in 2022, the paper reports.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The trail climbs a hill beyond the uppermost pond, then rejoins the twisting, rocky creek bed before ascending again into a jungle of scrubby vegetation.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
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.
