mountainous

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/ UK /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/ See IPA manual

Freq #34474

Meanings

1

adj
like a mountain in size and impressiveness

Mountainous waves.
2

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

[Water vapour bubbles] hit againſt the ſides of the more eminent and Mountainous Places, of the Globe, and by this Concuſſion are condenſed, and thus become heavier than the Air they ſvvom in, and ſo gleet dovvn the rocky Caverns of theſe Mountains, […].
3

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

But the added size did not give them an advantage this time. Not when Kanter and Adams, two mountainous players, could match the Knicks’ girth with their own.
4

adj
Very difficult.

As Brazil faced the mountainous task of completing an Olympic venue before the opening ceremony, Chinese netizens got busy molehilling a remark by a Rio construction manager about their China supplier.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms intramountainousmountainouslymountainousnessnonmountainousunmountainous

Related forms hilly mountain

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

mountainous area
A region containing many mountains or high rugged landforms.

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# mountainous

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmaʊn.tɪ.nəs/
**Frequency rank:** 34474

## Meanings
1. like a mountain in size and impressiveness
2. Having many mountains; characterized by mountains; of the nature of a mountain; rough (terrain); rocky.
3. Resembling a mountain, especially in size; huge; towering.
4. Very difficult.

## Examples
- Mountainous waves.
- [Water vapour bubbles] hit againſt the ſides of the more eminent and Mountainous Places, of the Globe, and by this Concuſſion are condenſed, and thus become heavier than the Air they ſvvom in, and ſo gleet dovvn the rocky Caverns of theſe Mountains, […].
- But the added size did not give them an advantage this time. Not when Kanter and Adams, two mountainous players, could match the Knicks’ girth with their own.
- As Brazil faced the mountainous task of completing an Olympic venue before the opening ceremony, Chinese netizens got busy molehilling a remark by a Rio construction manager about their China supplier.

## Derived Forms
- intramountainous
- mountainously
- mountainousness
- nonmountainous
- unmountainous

## Related Forms
- hilly
- mountain

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

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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