What does surmount mean?
Surmount is a formal verb meaning to overcome a difficulty, obstacle, or challenge. Its figurative use is especially common in contexts such as business, law, education, and personal development: a person may surmount difficulties, overcome setbacks, or surmount the obstacles involved in completing a task. The word can also retain its older literal meaning of climbing over or getting above a physical barrier. Although “overcome” and “get over” are more familiar in everyday speech, surmount has a formal, determined tone and can suggest persistence in the face of a substantial problem. It is transitive and is normally followed by a noun naming the obstacle or difficulty.
To overcome or get over a difficulty, obstacle, or challenge.
"The negotiators worked together to surmount the remaining differences."
A formal and often somewhat literary verb, especially common in figurative contexts.
To climb over or get over a physical obstacle or steep rise.
"They surmounted the low wall and entered the garden."
This literal sense is less common today than the figurative sense.
To surmount an obstacle is to get above it—literally in the word’s older climbing sense, and figuratively in the sense of overcoming a difficulty.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does surmount come from?
Surmount entered English in the late Middle English period from Anglo-French surmountre, a form related to French surmonter. The word combines sur-, meaning “over” or “beyond,” with monter, “to climb,” reflecting its original sense of getting over or climbing above something. Its modern sense of overcoming a difficulty developed from the physical meaning and became established through the verb’s figurative use.
Related word forms
How surmount is actually used
“Surmount” is relatively formal and is especially common in writing about difficulties, obstacles, and challenges. In modern usage, the figurative sense is much more frequent than the physical sense.
Easily confused with surmount
“Surmount” is a verb meaning to overcome a difficulty or climb over an obstacle, whereas “summit” is a noun for a mountain’s highest point or a formal meeting.