adjective
mountainous
MOWN-tih-nuhs
adjective
1
Having many mountains; full of steep, rugged terrain.
"The northern part of the country is mountainous and sparsely populated."
"Hiking trails wind through mountainous terrain near the border."
2
Huge or towering, like a mountain (used figuratively).
"She faced a mountainous pile of paperwork on her first day."
"They ran up mountainous debts trying to keep the business afloat."
How to Use Mountainous
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishFull of mountains, or so large it feels like one — used both for landscapes and for big problems or amounts.
Common pairings
mountainous region
mountainous terrain
mountainous task
Word Forms
more mountainous comparative, most mountainous superlative
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “mountainous”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The northern part of the country is _____ and sparsely populated.
Etymology
From "mountain" plus the suffix "-ous," echoing French montagneux and, further back, Latin montem, "mountain."