mountainous

adjective

moun·​tain·​ous ˈmau̇n-tə-nəs How to pronounce mountainous (audio)
ˈmau̇nt-nəs
1
: containing many mountains
2
: resembling a mountain : huge
mountainously adverb
mountainousness noun

Examples of mountainous in a Sentence

the seemingly mountainous obstacles he had to overcome while growing up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This heavy rainfall could also lead to mudslides, especially in the mountainous terrain of Jamaica and southern Cuba. Mary Gilbert, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024 In North Carolina, torrential rains from the storm combined with the mountainous terrain of the western part of the state to create catastrophic flooding. Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024 Much of it is remote and dangerous, including desert and mountainous terrain where summer heat regularly exceeds 120 degrees. Bethany Blankley | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 26 Oct. 2024 Other variables, like the roughness of the landscape and mountainous terrain, don’t seem to have a significant effect one way or the other. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mountainous 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mounteynous, borrowed from Anglo-French muntaignus, from muntaigne, mountaigne mountain + -us -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mountainous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mountainous

Cite this Entry

“Mountainous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mountainous. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

mountainous

adjective
moun·​tain·​ous ˈmau̇nt-ᵊn-əs How to pronounce mountainous (audio)
-nəs
1
: having many mountains
2
: resembling a mountain : huge

More from Merriam-Webster on mountainous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!