Word
muster
US/ˈməstɝ/
UK/mˈʌstɐ/
Definitions
01to summon a feeling
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to find enough of a quality like courage, energy, or support within yourself to do something.
v. to summon or elicit a particular internal quality or reaction, often with effort.
“She finally managed to muster the courage to ask for a pay rise.”
“Despite his exhaustion, the candidate struggled to muster enough enthusiasm to finish the final speech of the campaign trail.”
Usage
Often used with 'up' as in 'to muster up the courage'.
02military assembly
C1 · Advanced Military Formal
v. to bring soldiers together for a formal meeting or to check who is there.
v. to assemble troops or a crew for inspection, roll call, or service.
“The captain ordered the sailors to muster on the deck at dawn.”
“The general spent the week attempting to muster a force large enough to defend the border before the winter snows arrived.”
Usage
Can be used transitively (to muster troops) or intransitively (the troops mustered).
03rounding up animals
C1 · Advanced Dialect · American English · British English
v. to gather livestock, like sheep or cattle, into one place.
v. to gather or round up livestock, particularly in large-scale farming contexts.
“It took the farmers all day to muster the sheep from the hills.”
“The station hands used helicopters and motorbikes to muster the cattle across the vast northern territory.”
Teaching tip
This sense is most common in Australian and New Zealand English regarding sheep or cattle stations.
Antonyms
04a gathering
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Military Formal
n. a formal gathering of people, usually for an inspection or to count them.
n. a formal assembly or roll call, typically of military personnel or a ship's crew.
“The soldiers stood in a straight line for the morning muster.”
“Any sailor who failed to appear for the emergency muster was subject to immediate disciplinary action by the first mate.”
Real-World Examples
“Perhaps Infantino can muster a majority among Fifa’s 211 members.” “Iraq (-11) were the whipping boys in Group I – the closest to a group of death as the 48-team format could muster with France, Norway and Senegal, who all progressed in predictable fashion.” Etymology
From Middle English musteren, borrowed from Anglo-Norman mostrer, Middle French monstrer, moustrer (whence the noun monstre, which gave the English noun), from Latin mōnstrō (“to show”), from moneō (“to admonish”). Cognate with French montrer (“to show”), Italian mostrare (“to show”), Spanish mostrar (“to show”). See also monster.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. pass muster
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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