Surmount
/sərˈmaʊnt/noun
To overcome a difficulty or obstacle; to rise above.
Did you know?The prefix 'sur-' comes from Latin, meaning 'over' or 'above', hinting at a powerful act of rising beyond challenges.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mon-
“to tower or ascend.”
Latin
Latin
surmōntare
“to mount over, overcome.”
Old French
Old French
surmonter
“to mount over, surpass.”
Middle English
Middle English
surmounten
“to surpass, overcome.”
Modern English
English
surmount
“to rise above; to prevail over.”