CLIMB

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does climb mean? 

• CLIMB (noun)
  The noun CLIMB has 3 senses:

1. an upward slope or grade (as in a road)

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

3. the act of climbing something

  Familiarity information: CLIMB used as a noun is uncommon.

• CLIMB (verb)
  The verb CLIMB has 6 senses:

1. go upward with gradual or continuous progress

2. move with difficulty, by grasping

3. go up or advance

4. slope upward

5. improve one's social status

6. increase in value or to a higher point

  Familiarity information: CLIMB used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CLIMB (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An upward slope or grade (as in a road)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

acclivity; ascent; climb; raise; rise; upgrade

Context example:

the car couldn't make it up the rise

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)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

climb; climbing; mounting

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

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

Derivation:

climb (go up or advance)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of climbing something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

climb; mount

Context example:

it was a difficult climb to the top

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)

• CLIMB (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Go upward with gradual or continuous progress

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

climb; climb up; go up; mount

Context example:

Did you ever climb up the hill behind your house?

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:

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

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 (the act of climbing something)

Sense 2

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 3

Meaning:

Go up or advance

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

climb; mount; rise; wax

Context example:

Sales were climbing after prices were lowered

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:

Slope upward

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Context example:

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

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))

Sense 5

Meaning:

Improve one's social status

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

This young man knows how to climb the social ladder

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 6

Meaning:

Increase in value or to a higher point

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

climb; go up; rise

Context example:

the value of our house rose sharply last year

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.))

 Context examples 

It was impossible for me to climb this stile, because every step was six-feet high, and the upper stone about twenty.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

It will be a gradual climb, and you are not due to reach a pinnacle point until from spring 2023 to spring 2024.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Brissenden rested his demijohn at the upstairs entrance, preliminary to the climb.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

When she had gone several miles she thought she would stop to rest, and so climbed to the top of the fence beside the road and sat down.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

As soon as the sun had climbed above our girdle of trees, it fell with all its force upon the clearing and drank up the vapours at a draught.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He climbed the bank and disappeared.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

But my heart smote me when we climbed aboard and looked at the havoc he had done.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“He’s quicker at climbing down holes than I am. Just hold out while I fix the derbies.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Finally, to my astonishment, Holmes climbed up on to the massive mantelpiece.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A question about climbing several flights of stairs.

(Climbing Several Flights of Stairs, NCI Thesaurus)