cumulus

noun

ˈkyü-myə-ləs How to pronounce cumulus (audio)
Definition of cumulusnext
as in accumulation
a mass or quantity that has piled up or that has been gathered over a period of time the cumulus of sundry things that fill up one's attic and somehow sum up a lifetime of experiences

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cumulus Dean has an unerring sense about how to let her voice glide to the cumulus layer and back again, without remotely ever going over the top. — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 July 2026 Beehive is more delicate, sending up painterly tendrils that form a thin scrim in front of the landscape of volcanic sediment, evergreens, and puffy cumulus clouds. — Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026 Throughout the morning, Lisius — and chasers who had fanned out across North Texas — waited for the drifting cumulus clouds to rise far enough to become a tornado-producing supercell thunderstorm. — Emily Holshouser may 19, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 May 2026 Forecasters predict an 80 percent chance of favorable weather for launch Wednesday, with a low risk of cumulus clouds and ground winds that could violate NASA’s launch commit criteria. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 1 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cumulus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumulus
  1. accumulation
  2. collection
  3. mixture
  4. assemblage
  5. jumble
Noun
  • The accumulation of unemployment, underemployment, and low wages for Chinese households and workers are already significant, yet Beijing has responded with only modest new household subsidies and incremental investment in social services.
    — Oliver Melton, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In 2022, for example, a team of researchers in Paris reported that sustained mental effort led to the accumulation of glutamate in the lateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region responsible for cognitive control.
    — Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of accumulation
Noun
  • Marshall’s campaign, in turn, faced an onslaught of controversies that his critics amplified in the race’s final weeks, including his medical debt collection practices and the blurred lines between his office and campaign staff.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The policy prohibits the use of surveillance technology, discriminatory practices and unauthorized data collection.
    — James Leigh, Arkansas Online, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of collection
Noun
  • The rock contains a distinctive mixture of igneous minerals, formed when molten material cooled and solidified.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2026
  • End with the house herbal tea, a beautiful floral mixture of cardamom pods, mint, rosewater, and orange blossom.
    — Luke Pyenson, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of mixture
Noun
  • Gallery visitors were careful not to step on the sprawling assemblage of photographs, drawings and artifacts scattered across the floor.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • That knack for making music that sounds more like an irruption in the environment than an assemblage of instruments carries across the six sides of vinyl that comprise From the Toolkit of Lovers.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of assemblage
Noun
  • Arches and natural bridges sweep like buttresses from jumbles of rock, giving this landscape a mystical, cathedral-like quality.
    — Madison Chapman, Outside, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Macaroons are chewy jumbles of coconut bound together with egg whites and sweetened condensed milk.
    — Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of jumble

Browse Nearby Words

cumulous
cumulus
cunning
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cumulus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumulus. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cumulus

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cumulus

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All