noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈæsɪmptəʊ̯t/
Received-Pronunciation:[ˈæsɪmtəʊ̯t]
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈæsɪmtɒt/
Multicultural British EnglishRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, General-American:/ˈæsɪmptoʊ̯t/
Canada, General-American:[ˈæsɪmtoʊ̯t]
Canada, General-American:/ˈeɪ̯sɪmtoʊ̯t/
North CarolinaRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AE1 S AH0 M T OW2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:AE1 S IH0 M P T OW2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely as it goes to infinity. The limit of the curve; its tangent "at infinity".
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
2006: Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Perimeter of Ignorance As you become more scientific, yes, the religiosity drops off, but it asymptotes.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a straight line that is the limiting value of a curve; can be considered as tangent at infinity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the asymptote of the curve
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: straight line
History
Etymology
circa 1650, from Ancient Greek ἀσύμπτωτη (asúmptōtē), the feminine of Apollonius Pergaeus' (circa 200 BC) Ancient Greek adjective ἀσύμπτωτος (asúmptōtos, “not falling together”), from ἀ- (a-, “not”) + συν- (sun-, “together”) + πτωτός (ptōtós, “fallen”). See also a-, syn-, -ote.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Asturian:
asíntota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Basque:
asintota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Bengali:
অসীমতট
(ośimotoṭ)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Catalan:
asímptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Czech:
asymptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Dutch:
asymptoot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Finnish:
asymptootti
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
French:
asymptote
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Galician:
asíntota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
German:
Asymptote
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Greek:
ασύμπτωτος
(asýmptotos)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Hebrew:
אָסִימְפְּטוֹטָה
(asimptotá)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Hindi:
अनंतस्पर्शी
(anantsparśī)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Hungarian:
aszimptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Icelandic:
aðfella
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Icelandic:
ósnertill
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Ido:
asimptoto
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Indonesian:
asimtot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Italian:
asintoto
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Japanese:
漸近線
(zenkinsen)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Malay:
asimptot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Māori:
rārangi pātata
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Māori:
tepe whakatata
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Polish:
asymptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Portuguese:
assíntota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Portuguese:
assímptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Portuguese:
assintota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Portuguese:
assimptota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Romanian:
asimptotă
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Russian:
асимпто́та
(asimptóta)
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Spanish:
asíntota
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Swedish:
asymptot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Turkish:
asimptot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
Welsh:
asymptot
— a straight line which a curve approaches arbitrarily closely
