# climb

Pronunciation: say "KLYM" /klaɪm/

## Verb

1. To move or rise upward to a higher position.
   - Simple: To go up to a higher place or level.
   - _The trail climbs steeply for the first mile._
   - _Temperatures climb sharply in the afternoon._
2. To move up or down something by gripping with the hands and pushing with the feet.
   - Simple: To go up or down something by holding on with your hands and pushing with your feet.
   - _Mountaineers climb sheer rock faces using only their hands and feet._
   - _She climbed the cliff carefully, testing each grip._
3. To move upward along or onto something.
   - Simple: To go up onto something and move toward its top.
   - _The hikers climb the steep path toward the summit._
   - _She climbed the staircase to the upper floor._
4. To make one's way to the top of something.
   - Simple: To go all the way to the top of something.
   - _Only experienced teams climb the world's highest peaks._
   - _She climbed Everest the year she turned forty._
6. To rise to a higher position on a chart, ranking, or scale.
   - Simple: To move up to a higher place on a list or ranking.
   - _The novel climbed steadily up the bestseller list._
   - _New releases often climb the charts faster than older songs._
7. To rise to a higher rank or standing in society.
   - Simple: To move up to a higher level in society.
   - _Ambitious clerks climbed through the social ranks of Victorian London._
   - _Some marry in order to climb into a wealthier class._
8. To practice the sport of ascending rocks, cliffs, or artificial walls.
   - Simple: To take part in the sport of going up rocks, cliffs, or walls.
   - _She climbs competitively and travels to events across the country._
   - _Many people climb to challenge themselves and stay fit._
11. Of a plant, to grow upward by clinging to a support such as a wall or trellis.
   - Simple: Of a plant, to grow upward by holding onto a support.
   - _Wild grapevines climb toward the light, wrapping around any branch they reach._
   - _Morning glory climbs up the trellis within a few weeks._
12. To jump high, rising well above the ground.
   - Simple: To jump up high into the air.
   - _The forward climbed highest to meet the corner kick._
   - _Good center-backs climb well in crowded penalty areas._

## Noun

5. An instance of going up something, such as a hill, rock, or wall.
   - Simple: A trip up something high, like a hill or wall.
   - _The final climb to the ridge tested everyone's strength._
   - _She logged several climbs in her notebook that summer._
9. The strenuous effort involved in moving to a higher point.
   - Simple: A hard effort needed to move upward.
   - _The slow climb up the icy slope demanded every ounce of strength._
   - _It was a grueling climb, and her legs ached by the top._
10. The act of making one's way to a more elevated place.
   - Simple: The act of getting up to a higher spot.
   - _The climb to the summit rewarded them with a sweeping view._
   - _A gentle climb led the pilgrims up to the hilltop shrine._

## Origin

This word comes from Middle English climben and Old English climban ("to climb"), from Proto-Germanic *klimbaną ("to climb, go up by clinging"), thought to be a nasalised variant of a root meaning "to stick, cleave," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gley- ("to stick"). It is cognate with Dutch klimmen and German klimmen, and related to clamber.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/climb (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).