List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 175

SYNONYMS: gather, collect, assemble, congregate, accumulate, amass.
These verbs mean to bring or come together in a group or mass.

Gather is the most general term and therefore the most widely applicable: The tour guide gathered the visitors in the hotel lobby. A group of students gathered in front of the administration building to demand divestiture. I gathered sticks as kindling for the fire. Clouds gather before a thunderstorm.
Collect is often interchangeable with gather: A proctor will collect (or gather) the examination papers at the end of the hour. Tears collected (or gathered) in her eyes. Frequently, however, collect refers to the careful selection of like or related things that become part of an organized whole: collects antiques; collected stamps.
Assemble in all of its senses implies that the persons or things involved have a definite and usually close relationship. With respect to persons the term suggests convening out of common interest or purpose: Assembling an able staff was more difficult than raising the funds to finance the venture. The new legislature will assemble in January. With respect to things assemble implies gathering and fitting together components, as of a structure or machine: The curator is devoting time and energy to assembling an interesting exhibit of Stone Age artifacts.
Congregate refers chiefly to the coming together of a large number of persons or animals: The physicians congregated in the library to compare notes.
Accumulate applies to the increase of like or related things over an extended period: They gradually accumulated enough capital to be financially secure after retirement. Old newspapers are accumulating in the basement.
Amass refers to the collection or accumulation of things, especially valuable things, to form an imposing quantity: families who amassed great fortunes in the days before income tax.