# mountainous

/ˈmaʊntənəs/ (US) · /mˈaʊntɪnəs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mountainous
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. having many mountains

adjective · CEFR B1

having many mountains or high, rocky land.

For teachers: characterised by the presence of many mountains; having a high, rugged, or rocky terrain.

- The northern part of the country is very mountainous and difficult to travel through.
- The mountainous terrain of the Andes presents significant logistical challenges for engineers attempting to construct modern highways across the range.

### 2. huge or towering

adjective · CEFR B2

looking like a mountain because it is so big or tall.

For teachers: resembling a mountain in size or scale; immense, towering, or exceptionally large.

- The ship was hit by a mountainous wave during the storm.
- The climbers were dwarfed by the mountainous ice formations that had shifted during the previous night's blizzard.

### 3. very difficult

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

extremely hard to do, like climbing a giant mountain.

For teachers: metaphorically referring to a task or obstacle that is extremely difficult to overcome.

- The new government faced a mountainous task in rebuilding the economy.
- The legal team was confronted with a mountainous volume of evidence that required months of meticulous review before the trial could proceed.

## Examples

- The hikers explored the mountainous region.
- The country's mountainous terrain makes it difficult to build high-speed railways between the major cities.
- Despite the mountainous challenges facing the new administration, the president expressed confidence that the proposed economic reforms would eventually stabilize the national currency.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.