What does mountainous mean?
Mountainous is an adjective meaning characterized by many mountains, steep rises, and rugged elevated terrain. It is used to describe landscapes, regions, and routes, as in a mountainous country or mountainous terrain. The word is common in geography, travel writing, journalism, and descriptions of natural scenery, and it is especially appropriate when mountains are a defining feature of an area rather than merely an isolated presence. Its connotation is generally neutral, although it can suggest difficult travel or challenging conditions because mountainous terrain often involves steep slopes and winding roads. Mountainous is more descriptive than the shorter word hilly when the landscape includes substantial elevations and mountain formations. It is also related etymologically to mountain, mount, and words such as surmount and dismount, all of which ultimately derive from a shared word for a mountain or hill.
adjectiveCharacterized by the presence of many mountains or by rugged, elevated terrain.
- Characterized by many mountains or by mountainous terrain.
"The route winds through a mountainous region where the peaks remain snow-covered even in summer."
"They spent the summer exploring the mountainous landscape in the northern provinces."
"The mountainous road became difficult to navigate after the first heavy snowfall."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mountainous come from?
The adjective mountainous was formed in English by combining mountain with the suffix -ous, meaning characterized by or full of. Mountain and mount both continue Old French mont, which ultimately comes from Latin mons, meaning mountain or hill. The English adjective developed during the early modern period, following the same productive pattern used in many English words ending in -ous.
How mountainous is actually used
This adjective is neutral in register and is used in geography, travel, geography, and descriptive writing. It commonly describes terrain, regions, and landscapes, rather than individual mountains.
Easily confused with mountainous
Mountainous means characterized by mountains, while mountaineous means relating to the sport or activity of climbing mountains.