surmount

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: sur=mount

CIDE DICTIONARY

surmount, v. t. [OE. sourmounten, OF. surmonter, sormonter, F. surmonter; sur over + monter to mount. See Sur-, and Mount, v. i.].

•  To rise above; to be higher than; to overtop.  [1913 Webster]

  "The mountains of Olympus, Athos, and Atlas, overreach and surmount all winds and clouds."  [1913 Webster]
•  To conquer; to overcome; as, to surmount difficulties or obstacles.  Macaulay.  [1913 Webster]
•  To surpass; to exceed.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

  "What surmounts the reach
  Of human sense I shall delineate."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To conquer; overcome; vanquish; subdue; surpass; exceed.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

surmount, v.tr.
1 overcome or get over (a difficulty or obstacle).
2 (usu. in passive) cap or crown (peaks surmounted with snow).

Derivative

surmountable adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF surmonter (as SUR-(1), MOUNT(1))

THESAURUS

surmount

beat, best, bestraddle, bestride, better, cap, clamber, clamber up, clear, climax, climb, climb over, climb up, command, conquer, consummate, crest, crown, culminate, deck, defeat, dominate, down, escalade, finish, floor, frost, head, hurdle, ice, leap, lick, look down upon, master, mount, negotiate, outdo, outstrip, outtop, over, overarch, overcome, overleap, overlook, overmaster, overmatch, overpower, overset, overshadow, overthrow, overtop, overturn, peak, prevail over, ramp, rise above, scale, scale the heights, scrabble up, scramble up, send flying, shin, shin up, shinny, silence, struggle up, surpass, terminate, throw, tip, top, top off, tower above, tower over, trip, trip up, triumph over, upclimb, upset, vault

ROGET THESAURUS

surmount

Height

VB be high, tower, soar, command, hover, hover over, fly over, orbit, be in orbit, cap, culminate, overhang, hang over, impend, beetle, bestride, ride, mount, perch, surmount, cover, overtop, stand on tiptoe, become high, grow higher, grow taller, upgrow, rise, send into orbit, render high, heighten.

Transcursion

VB transgress, surpass, pass, go beyond, go by, show in front, come to the front, shoot ahead of, steal a march upon, steal a gain upon, overstep, overpass, overreach, overgo, override, overleap, overjump, overskip, overlap, overshoot the mark, outstrip, outleap, outjump, outgo, outstep, outrun, outride, outrival, outdo, beat, beat hollow, distance, leave in the lurch, leave in the rear, throw into the shade, exceed, transcend, surmount, soar, encroach, trespass, infringe, trench upon, entrench on, intrench on, strain, stretch a point, strain a point, cross the Rubicon.

Ascent

VB ascend, rise, mount, arise, uprise, go up, get up, work one's way up, start up, shoot up, go into orbit, float up, bubble up, aspire, climb, clamber, ramp, scramble, escalade, surmount, shin, shinny, shinney, scale, scale the heights, raise, elevate, go aloft, fly aloft, tower, soar, take off, spring up, pop up, jump up, catapult upwards, explode upwards, hover, spire, plane, swim, float, surge, leap.