Library / English Dictionary

CLIMB

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The act of climbing something

Example:

it was a difficult climb to the top

Synonyms:

climb; mount

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("climb" is a kind of...):

ascending; ascension; ascent; rise (the act of changing location in an upward direction)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "climb"):

scaling (ascent by or as if by a ladder)

clamber (an awkward climb)

mountain climbing; mountaineering (the activity of climbing a mountain)

rock climbing (the sport or pastime of scaling rock masses on mountain sides (especially with the help of ropes and special equipment))

Derivation:

climb (go upward with gradual or continuous progress)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.)

Synonyms:

climb; climbing; mounting

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("climb" is a kind of...):

ascension; ascent; rise; rising (a movement upward)

Derivation:

climb (go up or advance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An upward slope or grade (as in a road)

Example:

the car couldn't make it up the rise

Synonyms:

acclivity; ascent; climb; raise; rise; upgrade

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Hypernyms ("climb" is a kind of...):

incline; side; slope (an elevated geological formation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "climb"):

uphill (the upward slope of a hill)

Derivation:

climb (go upward with gradual or continuous progress)

climb (slope upward)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Increase in value or to a higher point

Example:

the value of our house rose sharply last year

Synonyms:

climb; go up; rise

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

grow (become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "climb"):

soar (go or move upward)

bull (advance in price)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The stock market is going to climb

Derivation:

climbing (an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Improve one's social status

Example:

This young man knows how to climb the social ladder

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

advance; come along; come on; get along; get on; progress; shape up (develop in a positive way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

climber (someone seeking social prominence by obsequious behavior)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Go up or advance

Example:

Sales were climbing after prices were lowered

Synonyms:

climb; mount; rise; wax

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

increase (become bigger or greater in amount)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "climb"):

jump (increase suddenly and significantly)

advance; gain (rise in rate or price)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

climb (an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.))

Sense 4

Meaning:

Go upward with gradual or continuous progress

Example:

Did you ever climb up the hill behind your house?

Synonyms:

climb; climb up; go up; mount

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

arise; come up; go up; lift; move up; rise; uprise (move upward)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "climb"):

scale (climb up by means of a ladder)

escalade (climb up and over)

ramp (creep up -- used especially of plants)

mountaineer (climb mountains for pleasure as a sport)

ride (climb up on the body)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence examples:

They climb the hill

They climb up the hill

Also:

climb down (come down)

climb on (get up on the back of)

Derivation:

climbing (an event that involves rising to a higher point (as in altitude or temperature or intensity etc.))

climber (a vine or climbing plant that readily grows up a support or over other plants)

climber (someone who ascends on foot)

climber (someone who climbs as a sport; especially someone who climbs mountains)

climber (an iron spike attached to the shoe to prevent slipping on ice when walking or climbing)

climb (an upward slope or grade (as in a road))

climb (the act of climbing something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Move with difficulty, by grasping

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "climb"):

clamber; scramble; shin; shinny; skin; sputter; struggle (climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Sense 6

Meaning:

Slope upward

Example:

The path climbed all the way to the top of the hill

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Hypernyms (to "climb" is one way to...):

incline; pitch; slope (be at an angle)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Derivation:

climb (an upward slope or grade (as in a road))

Credits

 Context examples: 

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary, from New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, from Nepal, became the first humans to successfully climb to the peak of Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world.

(Everest, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A question about climbing one flight of stairs.

(Climbing One Flight of Stairs, NCI Thesaurus)

Ordinary physical activity, such as walking or climbing stairs, does not cause angina.

(Canadian Cardiovascular Society Grading Scale Class I, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

Curiosity Mars rover will continue to climb to progressively higher and younger strata on Mount Sharp, investigating how long the ancient, water-rich environments found so far persisted as Mars dried out.

(NASA Weighs Use of Rover to Image Potential Mars Water Sites, NASA)

A grading of angina such that ordinary physical activity, such as walking or climbing stairs, does not cause angina.

(Canadian Cardiovascular Society Grading Scale Class I, NCI Thesaurus)

An herbal supplement containing an extract from guarana (Paullinia cupana), a climbing plant of the Sapindaceae family which is native to the Amazon basin, with stimulant, antioxidant and potential chemoprotective activities.

(Guarana Supplement, NCI Thesaurus)

He looks upon study as an odious fetter; his time is spent in the open air, climbing the hills or rowing on the lake.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

This happens when walking or climbing stairs.

(Peripheral Arterial Disease, NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI) Walking: are you able to climb up five steps?

(HAQ-DI - Able to Climb Up Steps, NCI Thesaurus)

It may also cause paralysis and problems with swallowing, talking, climbing stairs, lifting things, and getting up from a sitting position.

(Myasthenia Gravis, NCI Dictionary)