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• mountain
  mountain

  noun

  a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2,000 feet (610 meters).
• Mountain
  Mountain

  noun

  an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

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mountain

American  

[moun-tn] / ˈmaʊn tn /

noun

• mountains
  plural

1. a natural elevation of the earth's surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit, and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2,000 feet (610 meters).

2. a large mass of something resembling this, as in shape or size.

3. a huge amount.

   a mountain of incoming mail.

4. (initial capital letter) a steam locomotive having a four-wheeled front truck, eight driving wheels, and a two-wheeled rear truck.

5. Also called mountain wine.  British Archaic. a sweet Malaga wine.

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adjective

1. of or relating to mountains.

   mountain air.

2. living, growing, or located in the mountains.

   mountain people.

3. resembling or suggesting a mountain, as in size.

idioms

1. make a mountain out of a molehill. molehill.

Mountain ¹ British  

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. an extremist faction during the French Revolution led by Danton and Robespierre

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mountain ² British  

/ ˈmaʊntɪn /

noun

1. 1. a natural upward projection of the earth's surface, higher and steeper than a hill and often having a rocky summit

   2. ( as modifier )

      mountain people

      mountain scenery

   3. ( in combination )

      a mountaintop

2. a huge heap or mass

   a mountain of papers

3. anything of great quantity or size

4. a surplus of a commodity, esp in the European Union

   the butter mountain

5. informal a serious or considerable difficulty or obstruction to overcome

6. See molehill

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mountain Scientific  

/ moun′tən /

1. A generally massive and usually steep-sided, raised portion of the Earth's surface. Mountains can occur as single peaks or as part of a long chain. They can form through volcanic activity, by erosion, or by uplift of the continental crust when two tectonic plates collide. The Himalayas, which are the highest mountains in the world, were formed when the plate carrying the landmass of India collided with the plate carrying the landmass of China.

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mountain More Idioms  

1. see if the mountain won't come to Muhammad; make a mountain out of a molehill.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undermountain
  noun
• mountainless
  adjective
• submountain
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• mountains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mountain

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mountaine, from Old French montaigne, from Vulgar Latin montānea (unrecorded), noun use of feminine of montāneus (unrecorded), from Latin montān(us) “mountainous” (from mont-, stem of mōns “hill, mountain” + -ānus -an ) + -eus, adjective suffix

Explanation

A mountain is a large and often steep landmass that's much higher than the surrounding area. It's not to be confused with a molehill. The word mountain has been around since the 1200s. A mountain is much larger than an average hill; it's a mass of land that rises up to 2000 feet or so. Mountain does not always describe a land mass. It can also be used to refer to an undertaking, a pile of something, or even a large dose of trouble. You might have a mountain of mashed potatoes you don't want to eat, or a mountain of homework.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mountain Mountain mountains

He said he and his friends climbed the mountain in 2023 and had to wait in a queue for more than 30 minutes to reach the summit.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

After the success of her 2007 vintage, Gao dedicated herself full time to her winery, eventually moving the family vineyard just east of the Helan mountain, where vines are protected from sandstorms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

"We haven't seen a mountain hazard event like this for a very, very long time," Kamal Kishore, head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, told the press conference.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

Rock glaciers commonly develop beneath steep mountain valleys or cirques where falling debris regularly collects.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Together we stood there, our backs pressed against the cold stone of the mountain.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

“It looks like a parking lot full of giant Christmas presents,” said Eileen Vasko, a server at the Silver City Mountain Resort, which sells marmot caps and magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

The 1974 concept album My Tennessee Mountain Home, meanwhile, is a musical autobiography that opens with Parton reciting the first letter she wrote home after moving to Nashville as a teenager.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Directed by Henry Winkler and co-starring Lee Majors as Mountain Dan, it may be one of the earliest precursors to the Hallmark holiday-style movies.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

Her album from that year, “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” was a reintroduction to her audience, an autobiographical cycle of songs telling the story of a singer leaving home to make it on Music Row.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

“Jonah likes Mountain Dew,” Katherine said, pausing her Tetris long enough to point to her brother.

From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Construction across mountains in South Asia is placing more workers in risky terrain that is being destabilized by warming temperatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

The Gaos believed the arid soil near the Helan mountains could produce interesting wine, but the early years weren’t always smooth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

Both women shared what Bhattacharya calls a "wanderlust" - a love of travelling, discovering new places and, in their case, heading into the mountains.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada mountains is internationally acclaimed for its spectacular granite cliffs, glaciers, waterfalls, sequoia trees and wildlife.

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

They drove right along the coast, and just as they had in the mountains of Ecuador, Llewelyn and Orion kept their heads out the window, soaking in the sun and sky.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Related Words

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• bluff
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