gather

To come together in one place, or bring people or things together.

• People gather here every Sunday.
• A crowd gathered outside the shop.
• She gathered the children in the kitchen.

How to use it: gather around someone/something (The children gathered around the teacher.); gather somewhere (Fans gathered outside the stadium.)

Similar words: assemble, collect, come together

Opposites: disperse, scatter

Common phrases: gather together, gather around, gather people

To understand or believe something because of what you have heard, read, or noticed.

• I gather you know my sister.
• From his letter, I gathered that he needed help.
• Is she leaving soon, as I gather from your message?

How to use it: gather that… (I gather that you are moving abroad.); gather from something that… (She gathered from his reply that he was annoyed.)

Similar words: understand, infer

Common phrases: I gather, gather that

To collect more and more of something over time.

• We need to gather more evidence.
• Over the years, he gathered a large collection of stamps.
• The proposal is gathering support among local residents.

Similar words: collect, accumulate, amass

Common phrases: gather evidence, gather information, gather support

To gradually become faster.

• The train began to gather speed.
• The car gathered speed as it went downhill.
• Her steps gathered pace as she approached home.

Similar words: accelerate, speed up

Opposites: decelerate

Common phrases: gather speed, gather pace

To remain unused for so long that dust settles on it.

• These books just gather dust.
• My guitar gathered dust in the cupboard for years.
• Why leave your exercise bike gathering dust?

Similar words: lie unused

Common phrases: gather dust, gather dust upstairs

To pick or collect food from the place where it grows.

• We gather berries in summer.
• She gathered nuts beneath the trees.
• Can you safely gather mushrooms in this forest?

Similar words: collect, pick, harvest

Common phrases: gather berries, gather mushrooms, gather nuts