Accumulate — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt/ ac·cu·mu·late

Meaning & Definition of Accumulate

Accumulate (verb)

  1. to gather or pile up especially little by little, amass
  2. to increase gradually in quantity or number

Accumulate (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number

    "the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating"

    similar: accelerate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon, climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, increase, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, wax
    related: jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge, heighten, intensify, redouble, blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up), crescendo, crest, peak
    opposite: contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane

  2. to bring together in one body or place

    "finally accumulated enough donated books to hold a book sale"

    similar: amass, assemble, bulk (up), collect, concentrate, congregate, constellate, corral, garner, gather, group, lump, pick up, round up, get together
    related: ball, batch, bunch, cluster, huddle, heap, pile, stack, band, brigade, muster, raise, rally, flock, herd, hive, pack, press, swarm, throng, combine, connect, join, link, merge, pool, unite, archive, arrange, collate, compile, organize, systematize, scrape (up or together), re-collect, regather, regroup
    opposite: dispel, disperse, dissipate, scatter
    near: break up, disband, disintegrate, dissolve, separate, sever, split (up), dismiss, send

  3. to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass

    "clouds accumulating on the western horizon"

    similar: accrete, amass, build up, collect, concentrate, conglomerate, gather, mass, pile (up), stack (up)
    related: agglutinate, clump, lump, bank, drift, ridge
    near: disperse, dissipate, scatter

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Accumulate

The most common words with a similar meaning to Accumulate:

accelerate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon, climb, enlarge, escalate, expand, gain, increase, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, wax, amass, assemble, bulk (up), collect, concentrate, congregate, constellate, corral, garner, gather, group, lump, pick up, round up, accrete, conglomerate, mass, pile (up)

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Accumulate

Words with the opposite meaning of Accumulate:

contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane, dispel, disperse, dissipate, scatter

Related Words for Accumulate

jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge, heighten, intensify, redouble, blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up), crescendo, crest, peak, ball, batch, bunch, cluster, huddle, heap, pile, stack, band, brigade, muster, raise, rally, flock, herd

Near Antonyms of Accumulate

break up, disband, disintegrate, dissolve, separate, sever, split (up), dismiss, send

Word Forms of Accumulate

Inflections: accumulated, accumulating

Origin & Etymology of Accumulate

borrowed from Latin accumulātus, past participle of accumulāre "to heap up, add to, increase," from ad- ad- + cumulāre "to gather into a heap" cumulate

First known use: 15th centuryt

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Accumulate

Frequently Asked Questions about Accumulate

What does "Accumulate" mean?

"Accumulate" means to gather or pile up especially little by little, amass. As a verb, it is defined as: to gather or pile up especially little by little, amass. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Accumulate"?

Other words for "Accumulate" include accelerate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon, climb and enlarge. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Accumulate" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Accumulate"?

There are 99 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Accumulate". Common alternatives include accelerate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon, climb, enlarge, escalate and expand.

What is the opposite of "Accumulate"?

Antonyms of "Accumulate" include contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane and dispel. Near antonyms include break up, disband, disintegrate and dissolve.

How do you use "Accumulate" in a sentence?

Examples of "Accumulate" in a sentence: "the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating"; "finally accumulated enough donated books to hold a book sale"; "clouds accumulating on the western horizon".

Is "Accumulate" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Accumulate" is a verb.

Is "Accumulate" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Accumulate" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Accumulate"?

"Accumulate" is pronounced /ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt/ and divided into syllables as ac·cu·mu·late.