vaulting

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvɔltɪŋ/ UK /ˈvɔːltɪŋ/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
reaching for great heights; excessively ambitious

His vaulting ambition would not let him rest at any rung of success.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · reaching for great heights;... soaring towering lofty overweening ambitious grandiose

Opposites

modest humble timid

Word family

Related forms vault

Etymology

The present participle of 'vault' ('to leap'), from Old French 'volter' ('to gambol, leap'), from Vulgar Latin '*volvitare', frequentative of Latin 'volvere' ('to turn, roll').

volter Old French volvere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# vaulting

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈvɔltɪŋ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈvɔːltɪŋ/

## Meanings
1. reaching for great heights; excessively ambitious

## Examples
- His vaulting ambition would not let him rest at any rung of success.

## Synonyms
- soaring
- towering
- lofty
- overweening
- ambitious
- grandiose

## Antonyms
- modest
- humble
- timid

## Related Forms
- vault

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: volter
- Root: volvere

## Etymology
The present participle of 'vault' ('to leap'), from Old French 'volter' ('to gambol, leap'), from Vulgar Latin '*volvitare', frequentative of Latin 'volvere' ('to turn, roll').

## AI Etymology
Vaulting is the present participle of 'vault' ('to leap'), from Old French 'volter' ('to gambol, leap'), from Vulgar Latin '*volvitare', frequentative of Latin 'volvere' ('to turn, roll'). In current use it is an adjective and noun meaning "reaching for great heights; excessively ambitious". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The -ing ending supplies a participial or action-noun shape. A frequentative element in the history points to repeated, habitual, or intensified action. The historical chain includes Old French volter and Latin volvere. Related English forms include vault. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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