verb (used with object)
- to mount upon; get on the top of; mount upon and cross over: to surmount a hill.
- to get over or across (barriers, obstacles, etc.).
- to prevail over: to surmount tremendous difficulties.
- to be on top of or above: a statue surmounting a pillar.
- to furnish with something placed on top or above: to surmount a tower with a spire.
- Obsolete.
- to surpass in excellence.
- to exceed in amount.
adjective
- (of a problem, etc) not capable of being solved or overcome
verb (tr)
- to prevail over; overcometo surmount tremendous difficulties
- to ascend and cross to the opposite side of
- to lie on top of or rise above
- to put something on top of or above
- obsolete to surpass or exceed
adj.1701, from un- (1) “not” + surmountable (see surmount). v.late 14c., “to rise above, go beyond,” from Old French surmounter “rise above,” from sur- “beyond” (see sur-) + monter “to go up” (see mount (v.)). Meaning “to prevail over, overcome” is recorded from late 14c. Related: Surmounted; surmounting.