WordValesurmount
to overcome a difficulty
In more detail
1. (verb) to overcome a difficulty or problem
2. (verb) to climb over or go up and across something
Examples
- 1. She worked hard to surmount her fear of public speaking.
- 2. The hikers had to surmount several steep mountains during their journey.
How to use surmount
Surmount is a somewhat formal or literary verb meaning to overcome or physically climb over something. It often appears in narratives about perseverance or in contexts describing obstacles, challenges, or physical barriers. The figurative sense (overcoming problems) is more common in modern English than the literal climbing sense.
Common phrases
- surmount an obstacle
- surmount a challenge
- surmount difficulties
- surmount a mountain
- surmount barriers
Synonyms
overcome · conquer · get over · rise above · scale
Opposites
succumb to · surrender to
Word family
surmountable · unsurmountable · insurmountable
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse surmount with surmise (to guess) due to similar spelling; they are entirely different words with no relationship.
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