What does insurmountable mean?
Word: Insurmountable
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Insurmountable means too great or too difficult to be overcome or dealt with.
Synonyms: unconquerable
How do you spell insurmountable?
Syllables: in - sur - mount - a - ble
Tricky part: The ending is able, not ible. Because the last part is said quickly and softly, students often guess the wrong vowel or write abel.
Watch out for: insurmountible, insurmountabel
Memory tip: If a problem is insurmountable, you are not ABLE to get past it, so let the word end with able.
Insurmountable in a sentence
Example 1: For years the wide river was an insurmountable barrier for the village children, until a footbridge was built.
Example 2: With good teamwork, even a job that looks insurmountable can be broken into small steps.
Example 3: The language gap between the two pen friends was not insurmountable; they used drawings and a dictionary.
Fun Fact
Its root goes back to the French verb monter, to climb, so the word pictures a problem as a peak too high to climb over.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
One word in the list is misspelt. Choose what that word means.
1. obstacle 2. insurmoutable 3. perseverance 4. resilience
a) something that blocks your way or holds up progress
b) impossible to get past, climb over or solve
c) the ability to recover quickly after a setback
d) the habit of continuing to try even when things are hard
Show answer
b) impossible to get past, climb over or solve. Insurmoutable has lost the n before the t; the word is spelt insurmountable.
Word Connection
Choose the word opposite in meaning to insurmountable as used in the sentence:
To the tired hikers, the last steep stretch of the trail seemed insurmountable, yet it took them only ten minutes.
a) impossible
b) overwhelming
c) manageable
d) unbeatable
Show answer
c) manageable. Overwhelming, impossible and unbeatable all agree with insurmountable; a manageable climb is one you can deal with.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Learning three new pieces before the concert seemed insermountable to the young violinist, but steady practice every evening made it possible in the end.
a) violinist
b) insermountable
c) possible
d) practice
Show answer
b) insermountable. The second part is sur, with a u, as in insurmountable.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
insurrmountable
a) m
b) r
c) u
d) t
Show answer
b) r. Only one r sits between the u and the m.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Choose the sentence that uses insurmountable correctly.
a) She insurmountable the hill in under ten minutes.
b) Without a ladder, the high garden wall seemed insurmountable.
c) The insurmountable of the task surprised everyone.
d) He spoke insurmountable about his summer plans.
Show answer
b) Without a ladder, the high garden wall seemed insurmountable.
2. An engineer says a design problem is not insurmountable. What does she mean?
a) It can never be solved at all.
b) It is too small to matter.
c) It has already been solved.
d) It can be solved with effort.
Show answer
d) It can be solved with effort.
