gather
1 of 2verb
gath·er ˈga-t͟hər 
also ˈge-
gathered; gathering ˈga-t͟hə-riŋ
ˈgat͟h-
transitive verb
1
: to bring together : collect
tried to gather a crowd
gathered firewood
2
a
: pick, harvest
gather flowers
b
: to pick up or amass as if by harvesting
gathering ideas for the project
c
: to scoop up or take up from a resting place
gathered the child up in his arms
3
: to serve as an attraction for : accumulate
books gathering dust
4
: to effect the collection of
gather contributions
5
a
: to summon up
gathered his courage
b
: to gain by gradual increase
gather speed
c
: to prepare (oneself) by mustering strength
d
: to gain or regain control of
gathered his wits
6
: to reach a conclusion often intuitively from hints or through inferences
I gather that you want to leave
7
a
: to pull (fabric) along a line of stitching so as to draw into puckers
b
: to draw about or close to something
gathering her cloak about her
c
: to bring together the parts of
gathered her hair into a ponytail
d
: to assemble (the signatures of a book) in sequence for binding
e
: to haul in
the sailors gathered the sails
intransitive verb
1
a
: to come together in a body
b
: to cluster around a focus of attraction
2
a
: to swell and fill with pus
b
: grow, increase
the gathering crisis
gatherer
ˈga-t͟hər-ər
noun also ˈge-
gather
2 of 2noun
1
: something brought together: such as
a
: a puckering in cloth made by gathering (see gather entry 1 sense 7a)
b
: a mass of molten glass collected for use in glassblowing
2
: an act or instance of bringing together
Synonyms
Verb
- accumulate
- amass
- assemble
- bulk (up)
- collect
- concentrate
- congregate
- constellate
- corral
- garner
- group
- lump
- pick up
- round up
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Give me just a minute to gather my things and then we can leave. The coach gathered her players together. She gathered her hair into a ponytail. The child was gathering flowers to give to his mother. The police are continuing to gather evidence relating to the crime. Volunteers have been gathering contributions for the new library. A crowd began to gather on the sidewalk. The players gathered together to hear the coach's game plan. The bicyclists gathered speed as they went downhill. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023 On Ash Wednesday, priests gather ashes from the previous Palm Sunday (more on that later) and rub them on congregants' foreheads. —Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 13 Feb. 2023 Every Saturday morning, about 15–20 volunteers gather at a woodshed in the tiny town of Searsmont, Maine. —Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 2 Feb. 2023 Tsay described it as a fun place where people gather to dance, exercise and socialize. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2023 Set aside some deliberate time to gather with friends or family, bake something homemade and put your phones to one side. —David Nikel, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 Bala Desejo are one of those voices, their music (once again) reinventing the numerous paths that gather Tropicália, samba, MPB, funk, forró, and many other disparate genres that comprise Brazil’s distinctive sound. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 16 Dec. 2022 Now, after enjoying a purely economic relationship, Saudi Arabia has accelerated strategic cooperation between China, the Gulf, and the wider Arab region, using its sway as the only country that can gather all Arab leaders on two weeks’ notice. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2022 Appearing out of sorts, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Bogaerts would be a Padre, Bloom needed some time to gather his thoughts. —Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Dec. 2022 Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023 That in turn could lead to lower protection as more people who aren’t boosted gather indoors, unmasked, during the colder weather when viruses spread more easily. —Time, 19 Sep. 2022 Above the house across the vast desert skies, clouds filled with green lightning gather. —Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023 McDaniel said that Eastman wanted the RNC to help the Trump campaign gather ‘contingent electors’ in states where Trump was challenging results. —Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 23 June 2022 Bluffdale • From individual recliners in the break room of Bluffdale’s Fire Station 92, the firefighters on duty for a Tuesday noon shift gather side by side in front of a TV decorated with small axes. —Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Sep. 2022 The media has emphasized the evidence of archaic admixture into hunter-gather lineages. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2012 White House spokesperson John Kirby said last week that Biden would meet one-on-one with López Obrador on Monday and have another one-on-one meeting with Trudeau on Tuesday before all three gather. —Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2023 When the show debuted, podcasting was mostly a digital backwater of chatcasts and recycled radio; suddenly, there was Serial discourse, an SNL skit, and listening parties straight out of the gather-round-the-Victrola era. —Vulture, 22 Sep. 2022 See More
Verb
Meanwhile, anxious parents gather outside the school -- already frustrated by the lack of information. —ABC News, 13 Feb. 2023 On Ash Wednesday, priests gather ashes from the previous Palm Sunday (more on that later) and rub them on congregants' foreheads. —Jennifer Aldrich, Country Living, 13 Feb. 2023 Every Saturday morning, about 15–20 volunteers gather at a woodshed in the tiny town of Searsmont, Maine. —Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 2 Feb. 2023 Tsay described it as a fun place where people gather to dance, exercise and socialize. —Phil Helsel, NBC News, 24 Jan. 2023 Set aside some deliberate time to gather with friends or family, bake something homemade and put your phones to one side. —David Nikel, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023 Bala Desejo are one of those voices, their music (once again) reinventing the numerous paths that gather Tropicália, samba, MPB, funk, forró, and many other disparate genres that comprise Brazil’s distinctive sound. —Spin Staff, SPIN, 16 Dec. 2022 Now, after enjoying a purely economic relationship, Saudi Arabia has accelerated strategic cooperation between China, the Gulf, and the wider Arab region, using its sway as the only country that can gather all Arab leaders on two weeks’ notice. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2022 Appearing out of sorts, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Bogaerts would be a Padre, Bloom needed some time to gather his thoughts. —Julian Mcwilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Dec. 2022 Noun
When the three gather by video conference to discuss the song with The Envelope, technical issues prevent Del Toro from initially joining. —Michael Ordoña, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2023 That in turn could lead to lower protection as more people who aren’t boosted gather indoors, unmasked, during the colder weather when viruses spread more easily. —Time, 19 Sep. 2022 Above the house across the vast desert skies, clouds filled with green lightning gather. —Jessica Kiang, Variety, 20 Jan. 2023 McDaniel said that Eastman wanted the RNC to help the Trump campaign gather ‘contingent electors’ in states where Trump was challenging results. —Rayna Reid Rayford, Essence, 23 June 2022 Bluffdale • From individual recliners in the break room of Bluffdale’s Fire Station 92, the firefighters on duty for a Tuesday noon shift gather side by side in front of a TV decorated with small axes. —Alixel Cabrera, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Sep. 2022 The media has emphasized the evidence of archaic admixture into hunter-gather lineages. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 July 2012 White House spokesperson John Kirby said last week that Biden would meet one-on-one with López Obrador on Monday and have another one-on-one meeting with Trudeau on Tuesday before all three gather. —Justin Gomez, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2023 When the show debuted, podcasting was mostly a digital backwater of chatcasts and recycled radio; suddenly, there was Serial discourse, an SNL skit, and listening parties straight out of the gather-round-the-Victrola era. —Vulture, 22 Sep. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian; akin to Middle High German gadern to unite — more at good
Noun
derivative of gather entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1
Noun
1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing gather
Kids Definition
gather
1 of 2 verb gath·er ˈgat͟h-ər
also ˈget͟h-
gathered; gathering ˈgat͟h-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to bring together : collect
2
: pick entry 1 sense 2b, harvest
3
: to gain by gradual increase
gather speed
4
: to prepare (as oneself) by calling on strength
gather courage to dive
5
: to draw about or close to something
6
: to pull (cloth) along a line of stitching so as to draw into puckers
7
: guess sense 1, deduce
8
: to come together in a body or around a center of attraction
a crowd gathered round
9
: increase entry 1, grow
a storm gathered outside
gatherer
ər-ər
noun gather
2 of 2 noun : the result of gathering cloth : pucker
Medical Definition
gather
intransitive verb gath·er ˈgat͟h-ər, ˈget͟h-
gathered; gathering -(ə-)riŋ
: to swell and fill with pus
the boil is gathering
gather
verb
1
as in to collect
to bring together in one body or place he gathered the leftovers from the table and gave them to the dog let's gather the students and have them line up on the playground before going in from recess Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- collect
- assemble
- amass
- accumulate
- garner
- group
- corral
- congregate
- combine
- join
- pack
- concentrate
- get together
- lump
- round up
- organize
- constellate
- unite
- muster
- pile
- arrange
- stack
- pick up
- compile
- bunch
- huddle
- raise
- rally
- collate
- connect
- ball
- batch
- cluster
- flock
- merge
- regroup
- band
- bulk (up)
- swarm
- heap
- throng
- pool
- herd
- brigade
- systematize
- link
- press
- hive
- regather
- archive
- re-collect
- scrape (up or together)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disperse
- scatter
- dispel
- send
- dissipate
- separate
- dissolve
- split (up)
- dismiss
- sever
- disintegrate
- break up
- disband
2
as in to harvest
to catch or collect (a crop or natural resource) for human use late summer is when we gather the tomatoes and begin canning them for the winter Synonyms & Similar Words
- harvest
- pick
- grow
- fish
- reap
- glean
- accumulate
- garner
- forage
- seal
- capture
- mow
- hunt
- cut
- crop
- net
- shrimp
- whale
- raise
- clam
- hay
- trap
- bag
- snare
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sow
- plant
- seed
3
as in to assemble
to come together into one body or place a crowd gathered around the street musician ask the faculty to gather in the lounge for the meeting Synonyms & Similar Words
- assemble
- converge
- meet
- convene
- rendezvous
- collect
- congregate
- join
- merge
- cluster
- concentrate
- get together
- conglomerate
- forgather
- cooperate
- consolidate
- collaborate
- foregather
- unite
- concenter
- couple
- club
- federate
- reconvene
- confederate
- associate
- reassemble
- caucus
- conjoin
- affiliate
- ally
- regather
- consort
- gang up
- remeet
- band (together)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disperse
- leave
- split (up)
- disband
- break up
- depart
- take off
- dissociate
- disunite
- disjoin
4
as in to derive
to form an opinion or reach a conclusion through reasoning and information I gather that, since you are back so early, she didn't want to see you? Synonyms & Similar Words
- derive
- understand
- decide
- extrapolate
- infer
- deduce
- think
- conclude
- reason
- speculate
- ascertain
- guess
- judge
- read
- make out
- assume
- suppose
- interpret
- surmise
- contemplate
- draw a conclusion
- rationalize
- philosophize
- construe
- conjecture
- find out
- dope (out)
5
as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass the newspapers that had been allowed to gather on the front doorstep told thieves that the family was away on vacation Synonyms & Similar Words
- accumulate
- collect
- amass
- mass
- concentrate
- accrete
- conglomerate
- build up
- pile (up)
- clump
- drift
- stack (up)
- lump
- agglutinate
- bank
- ridge
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- disperse
- scatter
- dissipate
6
as in to gain
to gradually increase in the movement gathered force as election day neared Synonyms & Similar Words
- gain
- accumulate
- build up
- amass
- grow (in)
- pick up
- expand
- accrue
- stimulate
- maximize
- mount
- enhance
- enrich
- excite
- extend
- elevate
- enlarge
- step up
- double (in)
- triple (in)
- boost
- ramp (up)
- jack (up)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- lose
- decrease (in)
- fall (in)
- decline (in)
- lessen
- diminish (in)
- dip
- abate
- taper off
- taper
- dwindle
7
as in to summon
to call into being through the use of one's inner resources or powers gathered the strength to finish the marathon Synonyms & Similar Words
- summon
- get up
- evoke
- elicit
- raise
- educe
- conjure (up)
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of gather are assemble, collect, and congregate. While all these words mean "to come or bring together into a group, mass, or unit," gather is the most general term for bringing or coming together from a spread-out or scattered state.
a crowd quickly gathered
Although the words assemble and gather have much in common, assemble implies an ordered union or organization of persons or things often for a definite purpose.
experts assembled for a conference
The words collect and gather can be used in similar contexts, but collect often implies careful selection or orderly arrangement.
collected books on gardening
In some situations, the words congregate and gather are roughly equivalent. However, congregate implies a spontaneous flocking together into a crowd or huddle.
congregating under a shelter