Standard Lemma guide

surmount

verb · 6 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: /səˈmaʊnt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /sɚˈmaʊnt/
  • Australian: /səˈmæɔnt/
  • New-Zealand: /səˈmæʊnt/
  • rhymes with -aʊnt
  • CMU ARPABET: S ER0 M AW1 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To get or be over without touching or resting on; to overcome.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To cap; to sit on top of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

be or do something to a greater degree

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • her performance surpasses that of any other student I know
  • She outdoes all other athletes
  • This exceeds all my expectations
  • This car outperforms all others in its class

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: surpass, outstrip, outmatch, outgo, exceed, outdo, outperform

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish

Narrower terms: outwit, overreach, outsmart, outfox, beat, circumvent, outgrow, outshout, outcry, outroar, outsail, outdraw, outsell, outpace, better, break, outshine, outrange, outweigh, outbrave, out-herod, shame, outmarch, outwear

4

verb

Meaning 4

get on top of; deal with successfully

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • He overcame his shyness

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overcome, get over, subdue, master

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beat, beat out, crush, shell, trounce, vanquish

Narrower terms: bulldog

5

verb

Meaning 5

reach the highest point of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We scaled the Mont Blanc

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scale

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: reach, make, attain, hit, arrive at, gain

6

verb

Meaning 6

be on top of

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The scarf surmounted the gown

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: head

Narrower terms: pinnacle

History

Etymology

From Middle English surmounten, from Old French surmonter (“to rise above, surmount”), from sur- (“above”) + monter (“to mount”), equivalent to sur- + mount.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: هَزَمَ (hazama) — to get over; to overcome
  • Arabic: تَغَلَّبَ (taḡallaba) — to get over; to overcome
  • Arabic: قَهَر (qahar) — to get over; to overcome
  • Arabic: غلب (ġalab) — to get over; to overcome
  • Arabic: هزم (hazam) — to get over; to overcome
  • Bulgarian: преодолявам (preodoljavam) — to get over; to overcome
  • Bulgarian: превъзмогвам (prevǎzmogvam) — to get over; to overcome
  • Chinese Mandarin: 克服 (kèfú) — to get over; to overcome
  • Czech: překonat — to get over; to overcome
  • Dutch: overwinnen — to get over; to overcome
  • Finnish: voittaa — to get over; to overcome
  • Finnish: jättää jotain taakseen — to get over; to overcome
  • Finnish: päästä jonkin yli — to get over; to overcome
  • French: surmonter — to get over; to overcome
  • German: überwinden — to get over; to overcome
  • Greek: υπερνικώ (ypernikó) — to get over; to overcome
  • Greek: ξεπερνώ (xepernó) — to get over; to overcome
  • Greek: υπερβαίνω (ypervaíno) — to get over; to overcome
  • Hungarian: leküzd — to get over; to overcome
  • Hungarian: legyőz — to get over; to overcome
  • Hungarian: áthidal — to get over; to overcome
  • Hungarian: felülkerekedik — to get over; to overcome
  • Hungarian: úrrá lesz — to get over; to overcome
  • Japanese: 乗り越える (norikoeru) — to get over; to overcome
  • Latin: superō — to get over; to overcome
  • Latin: ēluctor — to get over; to overcome
  • Middle English: surmounten — to get over; to overcome
  • Norwegian: overvinne — to get over; to overcome
  • Polish: przezwyciężać — to get over; to overcome
  • Polish: przezwyciężyć — to get over; to overcome
  • Portuguese: superar — to get over; to overcome
  • Russian: преодолева́ть (preodolevátʹ) — to get over; to overcome
  • Russian: преодоле́ть (preodolétʹ) — to get over; to overcome
  • Serbo-Croatian: nadvísiti — to get over; to overcome
  • Serbo-Croatian: prebròditi — to get over; to overcome
  • Serbo-Croatian: prevládati — to get over; to overcome
  • Swedish: överstiga — to get over; to overcome
  • Thai: เอาชนะ (ao-chá-ná) — to get over; to overcome
  • Turkish: aşmak — to get over; to overcome
  • Ukrainian: перебо́рювати (perebórjuvaty) — to get over; to overcome
  • Ukrainian: переборо́ти (pereboróty) — to get over; to overcome