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.
Even so, the technical setup has recently begun to improve with the emergence of a two-month bullish ascending triangle.
From Barron's • May 19, 2026
“When China is ascending to become a global power, that makes your choice much easier,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
“The ServiceNow terminal value is actually ascending as evidenced by the RPO,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
A beat-up, fourth-seeded Lakers team beating the ascending, fifth-seeded Rockets in the first round won’t top that.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
Beyond the bridge, the dirt path abandoned the banks of the Dudh Kosi and zigzagged up the steep canyon wall, ascending through aromatic stands of pine.
From "Into Thin Air" 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.
