French word

escalader

Pronunciation

IPA/ɛskalade/

Meaning

  • verbclimb

Example

Il a escaladé le mur.

He climbed the wall.

Illustration for escalader (climb)

More examples

Les voleurs ont escaladé la fenêtre du deuxième étage.

The thieves scaled the second-floor window.

Core concept

Hands and feet climbing up a wall or steep barrier until the top is reached and crossed.

Common phrases

  • escalader un mur

    scale a wall

  • escalader une fenêtre

    scale a window

Similar words

monter: To move upward on stairs or along a slope.
grimper: To climb up a ladder or tree with the hands and feet.
sauter: To leap across a gap or over an obstacle.
franchir: To pass beyond a boundary or barrier.

Definition in French

Passer par-dessus un obstacle vertical ou très incliné en utilisant les mains et les pieds pour le franchir.

Word origin

French escalader comes from escalade, related through Italian to Latin scala, meaning "ladder," and denotes climbing an obstacle.

Usage tips

  • As a transitive verb, escalader takes the obstacle directly, as in escalader le mur, and uses avoir in the past tense.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word