French word

gravir

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁaviʁ/

Meaning

  • verbclimb

Example

J'ai gravi la colline hier.

I climbed the hill yesterday.

Illustration for gravir (climb)

More examples

Elle a gravi les échelons de l'entreprise rapidement.

She quickly climbed the company's corporate ladder.

Core concept

A climber moving upward from one step or level to the next.

Common phrases

  • gravir une colline

    climb a hill

  • gravir un escalier

    climb a staircase

  • gravir les échelons

    climb the corporate ladder

Similar words

monter: Move upward on stairs, a slope, or inside a building.
grimper: Climb a tree or steep slope using hands and feet.
escalader: Climb over a cliff or wall using hands, feet, or equipment.

Definition in French

Atteindre un niveau supérieur en montant, littéralement pour une côte ou une montagne, et au figuré pour une promotion ou une progression de rang.

Word origin

Gravir comes from Old French gravir, an inherited verb that kept the literal sense of climbing and later extended it to rising through ranks.

Usage tips

  • Gravir takes a direct object without a preposition, as in gravir une colline and gravir les échelons.

Other meanings

  • summitverb
  • rise through the ranksverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word