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

In the video, the girl crawls around, and one of her legs randomly ascends into the air. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024

Don’t look now, but the Season 50 cast is just packed with ascending talent, from the reliably loopy Sarah Sherman to the masterfully extreme everyman Andrew Dismukes. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2024

There are plenty of moments of light amid the shade, not least seeing a player ascend to their previous heights of performance after a serious injury. —Tom Burrows, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024

Original content creators continued to ascend on YouTube in 2024, especially video podcasts, as users search for alternatives to traditional news sources. —Pueng Vongs, The Mercury News, 19 Dec. 2024

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