- 1[countable, usually singular] the act of climbing or moving up; an upward journey the first ascent of Mount Everest The cart began its gradual ascent up the hill. The rocket steepened its ascent. opposite descent Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivegradual, slow verb + ascentmake, begin, start, … prepositionascent from, ascent to See full entry
- 2[countable, usually singular] an upward path or slope At the other side of the valley was a steep ascent to the top of the hill. opposite descent Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivesteep, long verb + ascentclimb See full entry
- 3[uncountable] (formal) the process of moving forward to a better position or of making progress man’s ascent to civilization Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiverapid, gradual prepositionascent to See full entry More Like This Silent letters gnarled, gnash, gnat, gnaw, gnome haute cuisine, heir, (NAmE herb), honour, hors d’oeuvre, hour knack, knee, kneel, knife, knight, knit, knob, knock, knot, know, knuckle psalm, psephology, psychic, ptarmigan, pterodactyl, psychology wrangle, wrap, wreath, wreck, wrench, wrestle, wriggle, wring, write, wrong bomb, climb, crumb, doubt, lamb, limb ascent, fascinate, muscle, scene, scissors height, right, sleigh, weight align, campaign, design, foreign, malign, reign, unfeigned balmy, calm, calf, half, yolk autumn, column, condemn, damn, hymn, solemn bristle, fasten, listen, mortgage, soften, thistle, wrestle biscuit, build, circuit, disguise, guilty, league, rogue, vague yacht answer, sword, twoSee worksheet. Word Originlate 16th cent.: from ascend, on the pattern of the pair of descend, descent.Extra examples They climbed the steep ascent on to the plateau. a steep ascent to the village her rapid ascent to power the ascent from the valley their ascent to the summit
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