ascend
To climb or move upwards.
ascend in a sentence
- We watched the hot-air balloon ascend slowly into the clouds until it was a tiny dot.
- We began to ascend the lighthouse's spiral staircase, climbing higher with every step.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to ascend?
- Adrop
- Bfall
- Cclimb
- Dsink
Show the answer
C: climb. The other three mean the opposite of ascend.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to ascend?
- Arise
- Bsoar
- Cclimb
- Dfall
Show the answer
D: fall. The other three mean nearly the same as ascend.
Words that mean something similar
climb, rise, soar
Words that mean the opposite
fall, drop, sink
More words about movement & action
- assemble: To put pieces together, or to gather in one place.
- asunder: Apart, or into pieces.
- avert: To turn away, or to stop something bad from happening.
- banish: To send someone away and forbid them from coming back.
- beckon: To wave or signal to someone to come closer.
- billow: To swell and roll like waves, especially smoke or cloth.
- bolster: To support something and make it stronger.
- brandish: To wave something around in an excited or threatening way.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test