accumulate

verb

ac·cu·mu·late ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt

accumulated; accumulating

Synonyms of accumulate next

transitive verb

: to gather or pile up especially little by little : amass

accumulate a fortune

intransitive verb

: to increase gradually in quantity or number

snow accumulating to a depth of several feet

Examples of accumulate in a Sentence

Evidence of his guilt is accumulating. the number of complaints about that mail order firm is really accumulating

Recent Examples on the Web Heavy metals accumulate in the body and have been linked to a host of health issues including cancer, cognitive impairment, and heart disease. —

Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 Sep. 2023 Heavy metal poisoning occurs when microscopic molecules of metals — like lead, mercury and arsenic — accumulate within your body after exposure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Symptoms of heavy metal poisoning include abdominal pain, chills, dehydration, feeling weak, and nausea or vomiting. —

Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023 One compilation video of the most popular videos in the trend has accumulated over 8 million views. —

Time, 15 Sep. 2023 How Often to Clean Your Dishwasher Food gradually accumulates and collects in spots like the drain, spray arms, and baskets, feeding mold and bacteria and reducing the flow of water. —

Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2023 Bacteria is another substance that might accumulate on the scalp, giving off a stinky, mildew-y odor and leading to poorer hygiene overall. —

Popular Science, 13 Sep. 2023 Chiron’s Dream finished in the top 300 but on ultimately lost the competition to bands who have been together for many years and accumulated thousands of fans, said Jayko, who plays keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. —

Phil Rockrohr, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2023 Here’s another way to view it: Gauff only needed 13 winners to accumulate 83 points. —

Howard Fendrich, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023 In that stretch, Texas starters have accumulated a 5.68 ERA (sixth-worst in MLB), a .279 batting average against (fourth-worst) and allowed 20 home runs, the eighth-most. —

Shawn McFarland, Dallas News, 9 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'accumulate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

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

Note: In part a Latinization of Middle French accumuler.

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler

The first known use of accumulate was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century