ascend

verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

ascended; ascending; ascends

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move upward

the balloon ascended

b

: to slope upward

The path ascends through the woods.

c

: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain

an ascending somatosensory pathway

2

a

: to rise from a lower level or degree

ascend to power

b

: to go back in time or in order of genealogical succession

c

: to pass from lower to higher musical notes

C – E ascending

transitive verb

1

: to go or move up

ascend a staircase

2

: to succeed to : occupy

ascend the throne

ascendable adjective

or ascendible

ə-ˈsen-də-bəl 

Synonyms

• arise
• aspire
• climb
• lift
• mount
• rise
• soar
• thrust
• up
• uprear
• uprise
• upthrust
• upturn

Examples of ascend in a Sentence

They watched their balloons slowly ascend into the sky.

Divers must not ascend too rapidly to the water's surface.

She believed that when she died, her soul would ascend to heaven.

Several paths ascend to the top of the mountain.

stairs ascending to the attic

John Adams ascended to the presidency in 1797.

She worked as a clerk before ascending to her current position.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Wolves could choose to merely refine their roster, or maintain the status quo and allow the current pieces more time to mesh in the hopes things click and the team ascends to new heights by season’s end. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 24 Jan. 2025

Yet, when she was first elected, female leaders had ascended across state politics. —Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 22 Jan. 2025

Clearly, Cade Cunningham To start with the most obvious development of the season that likely has Detroit fans gleefully tuning in each time their team plays: Cunningham is ascending into a young star. —Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025

Safety features such as Maximum Depth Protection, which prevents the sub from descending beyond its 300-meter (1,000-foot) depth limit, and the Deadman’s Switch (which a passenger can trigger to automatically ascend if the pilot is incapacitated) give some sense of the technology behind the design. —Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin ascendere, from ad- + scandere to climb — more at scan

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing ascend

• ascend (to) the throne

Kids Definition

ascend

verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

: to go up : climb, rise

ascend a hill

smoke ascends

ascendable adjective

or ascendible

-ˈsen-də-bəl 

Medical Definition

ascend

intransitive verb

as·​cend ə-ˈsend 

: to move upward: as

a

: to conduct nerve impulses toward or to the brain

nerve fibers that ascend to a nucleus of the brain

ascending and descending tracts

b

: to affect the extremities and especially the lower limbs first and then the central nervous system

ascending paralysis