Standard Lemma guide

mountainous

adj · 7 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: /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/
  • US: /ˈmaʊn.tə.nəs/
  • US: [ˈmæʊn.tn̩.əs]
  • US: [-ʔn̩-]
  • US: [ˈmæ̃ʊ̃(n)-]
  • Canada: /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/
  • Canada: /ˈmaʊn.tə.nəs/
  • Australian: /ˈmæɔn.tɪ.nəs/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈmæʊn.tə.nəs/
  • CMU ARPABET: M AW1 N T AH0 N AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having many mountains; characterized by mountains; of the nature of a mountain; rough (terrain); rocky.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Resembling a mountain, especially in size; huge; towering.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Very difficult.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Inhabiting mountains; hence, barbarous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

containing many mountains

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

like a mountain in size and impressiveness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • mountainous waves
  • a mountainous dark man

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

having hills and crags

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • hilly terrain

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cragged, craggy, hilly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From mountain + -ous after Middle French montagneux, from Late Latin montāniōsus, from montānia, from Latin montem (“mountain”).

Across languages

Translations

83 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: جَبَلِيّ (jabaliyy) — having many mountains
  • Arabic: جَبَلي (jabali) — having many mountains
  • Armenian: լեռնային (leṙnayin) — having many mountains
  • Asturian: montosu — having many mountains
  • Azerbaijani: dağlıq — having many mountains
  • Belarusian: гары́сты (harýsty) — having many mountains
  • Bulgarian: плани́нски (planínski) — having many mountains
  • Catalan: muntanyós — having many mountains
  • Chinese Mandarin: 多山的 (duōshān de) — having many mountains
  • Czech: hornatý — having many mountains
  • Danish: bjergrig — having many mountains
  • Dutch: bergachtig — having many mountains
  • Esperanto: montara — having many mountains
  • Esperanto: montoza — having many mountains
  • Finnish: vuoristoinen — having many mountains
  • French: montagneux — having many mountains
  • Galician: montañoso — having many mountains
  • Georgian: მთიანი (mtiani) — having many mountains
  • German: bergig — having many mountains
  • German: gebirgig — having many mountains
  • Ancient Greek: ὀρεινός (oreinós) — having many mountains
  • Hungarian: hegyes — having many mountains
  • Hungarian: hegyi — having many mountains
  • Hungarian: hegyvidéki — having many mountains
  • Ido: montoza — having many mountains
  • Ingrian: mäekäs — having many mountains
  • Irish: sléibhtiúil — having many mountains
  • Irish: sléibhteach — having many mountains
  • Italian: montagnoso — having many mountains
  • Italian: montuoso — having many mountains
  • Kazakh: таулы (tauly) — having many mountains
  • Khakas: тағлығ (tağlığ) — having many mountains
  • Latin: montōsus — having many mountains
  • Macedonian: планински (planinski) — having many mountains
  • Marathi: डोंगरी (ḍoṅgrī) — having many mountains
  • Marathi: पर्वतमय (parvatmay) — having many mountains
  • Middle English: mountuous — having many mountains
  • Mongolian: уулархаг (uularxag) — having many mountains
  • Mongolian: уулархуу (uularxuu) — having many mountains
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fjellrik — having many mountains
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fjellrik — having many mountains
  • Persian: کوهستانی (kuhestâni) — having many mountains
  • Piedmontese: montagnos — having many mountains
  • Piedmontese: montos — having many mountains
  • Plautdietsch: boajich — having many mountains
  • Polish: górzysty — having many mountains
  • Portuguese: montanhoso — having many mountains
  • Romansh: alpin — having many mountains
  • Russian: гори́стый (gorístyj) — having many mountains
  • Scottish Gaelic: beanntach — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: пла̀нӣнскӣ — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: брдо̀вит — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: го̀рскӣ — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: горо̀вит — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: plànīnskī — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: brdòvit — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: gòrskī — having many mountains
  • Serbo-Croatian: goròvit — having many mountains
  • Shor: тағлығ (tağlığ) — having many mountains
  • Slovak: hornatý — having many mountains
  • Slovene: gôrski — having many mountains
  • Spanish: montañoso — having many mountains
  • Swedish: bergig — having many mountains
  • Swedish: fjällrik — having many mountains
  • Tagalog: mabundok — having many mountains
  • Tausug: mabūd — having many mountains
  • Turkish: dağlık — having many mountains
  • Tuvan: даглыг (daglıg) — having many mountains
  • Ukrainian: гори́стий (horýstyj) — having many mountains
  • Unami: òhchuwike — having many mountains
  • Uzbek: togʻlik — having many mountains
  • Welsh: mynyddog — having many mountains
  • Yakut: хайалаах (qayalaaq) — having many mountains
  • Czech: ohromný — resembling a mountain
  • Czech: obrovský — resembling a mountain
  • Esperanto: monta — resembling a mountain
  • Finnish: järkälemäinen — resembling a mountain
  • Finnish: vuorenkokoinen — resembling a mountain
  • Finnish: jättimäinen — resembling a mountain
  • Russian: гороподо́бный (goropodóbnyj) — resembling a mountain
  • Turkish: dağsı — resembling a mountain
  • Turkish: dağımsı — resembling a mountain
  • Finnish: visainen — very difficult
Real reading context

mountainous in complete knowledge articles