have a mountain to climb

verb

To face a difficult task or challenge.

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Meanings

verbhave a mountain to climb (third-person singular simple present has a mountain to climb, present participle having a mountain to climb, simple past and past participle had a mountain to climb)

present singular third person has a mountain to climb · participle present having a mountain to climb · participle past had a mountain to climb · past had a mountain to climb

  1. idiomaticTo face a difficult task or challenge.

    The Black Cats had a mountain to climb after James Morrison's header and Shane Long's neat side-foot finish gave Albion a 2-0 lead five minutes in.

    2011 October 1, Phil Dawkes, “Sunderland 2 - 2 West Brom”, in BBC Sport
Cite this entry
APA

have a mountain to climb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20mountain%20to%20climb

MLA

“have a mountain to climb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20mountain%20to%20climb. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have a mountain to climb,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20mountain%20to%20climb.

Source: have a mountain to climb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.