Standard Lemma guide

climbing

adj · noun · verb · 5 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.

  • US: /ˈklaɪ̯mɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪmɪŋ
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AY1 M IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That climbs; that grows upwards by gripping onto a surface.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: biology, botany, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The sport of climbing, ascending a wall or a rock or another object using available holds, generally with the safety of a rope and belayer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • The next day, the team had to wear special ice climbing footwear while repairing other research devices on the glacier.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Climb; ascent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of climb

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: climb, mounting

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: rise, rising, ascent, ascension

History

Etymology

From Middle English clymbyng, clymbynge; equivalent to climb + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: увивен (uviven) — plant that grows upwards by gripping onto a surface
  • Bulgarian: пълзящ (pǎlzjašt) — plant that grows upwards by gripping onto a surface
  • Bulgarian: катерлив (katerliv) — plant that grows upwards by gripping onto a surface
  • Chinese Mandarin: 攀緣 /攀缘 (pānyuán) — plant that grows upwards by gripping onto a surface
  • Bulgarian: катерене (katerene) — the sport of climbing
  • Dutch: klimmen — the sport of climbing
  • Dutch: klimsport — the sport of climbing
  • Finnish: kiipeily — the sport of climbing
  • French: escalade — the sport of climbing
  • German: Klettern — the sport of climbing
  • German: Kletterei — the sport of climbing
  • Greek: αναρρίχηση (anarríchisi) — the sport of climbing
  • Italian: arrampicata — the sport of climbing
  • Romanian: cățărare — the sport of climbing
  • Slovak: šplh — the sport of climbing
  • Spanish: escalada — the sport of climbing
  • Swedish: klättring — the sport of climbing
  • Turkish: tırmanma — the sport of climbing
  • Bulgarian: катерене (katerene) — climbs; ascents
  • Middle English: clymbynge — climbs; ascents
Real reading context

climbing in complete knowledge articles