To move upward, often using your hands and feet, such as going up a hill, tree, or stairs. It can also mean to rise in position, rank, or amount.
From Old English "climban" meaning "to climb, ascend," related to other Germanic words for climbing. The sense of moving up physically later extended to social or numerical rising.
We use the same verb for scaling a mountain and "climbing the career ladder"—your brain treats success as a kind of upward motion. That’s why going "down" in rank feels so emotionally heavy.
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