English Reference
Verb

amass

v.
C1 Advanced US /əˈmæs/ UK /ɐmˈæs/ amass UK spelling amasses, amassing

v.to collect a large amount of something over a long time. You use this when talking about gathering things like money, power, or information.

v.to accumulate a large quantity of something, typically over an extended period. Often implies a systematic or deliberate process of gathering.


SIMPLE

He worked hard to amass a large collection of rare books.

CONTEXTUAL

The tech company spent years trying to amass enough data to improve its artificial intelligence algorithms.

COMPLEX

While some families amass wealth through inheritance, others build their fortunes through decades of disciplined investment and strategic business decisions.

Woodside is one of a growing list of large oil companies amassing profits because of the Iran conflict at the same time as emissions-fuelled climate change affects communities around the world.

The Guardian· 25 Aug 2026

Artistic institutions are amassing more and more information about us, and they can now use it to guide nearly every aspect of modern artistic exposure.

Ars Technica· 25 Jul 2026

From Middle English *amassen (found only as Middle English massen (“to amass”)), from Anglo-Norman amasser, from Medieval Latin amassāre, from ad + massa (“lump, mass”). See mass.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-med amassāre
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated