surmount

Verb
US[ser-mount]/sɚˈmaʊnt/2 syllables
Synonyms: overcomeget oversubduemasterscalesurpassoutstripoutmatchoutgoexceedoutdooutperform

Open English WordNet

Verb (4)surmounted, surmounting

  1. get on top of; deal with successfully“He overcame his shyness”Synonyms: overcomeget oversubduemasterMore general beat, beat outMore specific bulldog
  2. be on top of“The scarf surmounted the gown”More general headMore specific pinnacle
  3. reach the highest point of“We scaled the Mont Blanc”Synonyms: scaleMore general reach, make
  4. be or do something to a greater degree“her performance surpasses that of any other student I know”“She outdoes all other athletes”“This exceeds all my expectations”“This car outperforms all others in its class”Synonyms: surpassoutstripoutmatchoutgoexceedoutdooutperformMore general get the better of, overcomeMore specific beat, outweigh, outwit, better, outdraw, outshine, outmarch, outroar, outsell, outwear +9 more
Word of the day · Nov 2About this word
perniciousadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Sur·mount′ transitive verb [past tense & past participle Surmounted; present participle & verbal noun Surmounting.]

Origin: OE. sourmounten, OF. surmonter, sormonter, F. surmonter; sur over + monter to mount. See Sur-, and Mount, intransitive verb

1. To rise above; to be higher than; to overtop.

The mountains of Olympus, Athos, and Atlas, overreach and surmount all winds and clouds.— Sir Walter Raleigh

2. To conquer; to overcome; as, to surmount difficulties or obstacles. Thomas Babington Macaulay

3. To surpass; to exceed. Edmund Spenser

What surmounts the reach Of human sense I shall delineate.— John Milton

Synonyms: To conquer; overcome; vanquish; subdue; surpass; exceed.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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