mass 1 of 3

noun

Definition of massnext
1
as in populace
masses plural the body of the community as contrasted with the elite the masses demanded the elimination of tax breaks for the rich

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loads
a considerable amount I have a mass of work to do tonight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in body
a distinct and separate portion of matter a mass of leaves in a corner of the yard

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4
as in weight
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts when taking pictures, focus your attention on the mass of the main subject

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in majority
the largest part or quantity of something believes that the great mass of voters are in the political center and consider themselves neither conservative nor liberal

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in throng
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a huge mass of people had gathered in the park to protest the government's latest policy

Synonyms & Similar Words

mass

2 of 3

adjective

as in reciprocal

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

mass

3 of 3

verb

as in to accumulate
to gradually form into a layer, pile, or mass clouds massing on the western side of the mountain range

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word mass different from other nouns like it?

The words bulk and volume are common synonyms of mass. While all three words mean "the aggregate that forms a body or unit," mass suggests an aggregate made by piling together things of the same kind.

a mass of boulders

Where would bulk be a reasonable alternative to mass?

While the synonyms bulk and mass are close in meaning, bulk implies an aggregate that is impressively large, heavy, or numerous.

the darkened bulk of the skyscrapers

In what contexts can volume take the place of mass?

The words volume and mass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, volume applies to an aggregate without shape or outline and capable of flowing or fluctuating.

a tremendous volume of water

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 mass
Noun
The military argued that federal laws and internal policies already prevent domestic mass surveillance or fully autonomous weapons, so there is no need to restrict those practices in the Pentagon's contracts. — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026 The dead from Srebrenica were bulldozed into mass graves over four days in July 1995, some of them dug up and relocated to remote mountains so as to hide evidence of the killings. — Ivana Sekularac, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Adjective
The number of people detained by ICE increased by 58% – or more than 25,000 people – between 2025 and 2026, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, which advocates to end mass incarceration. — Ella Siegrist, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 Anthropic wanted assurances that its Claude AI models wouldn’t be used for mass surveillance of US citizens or for fully autonomous weapons without human oversight. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 28 Aug. 2026
Verb
The Joint Force seeks a cost-effective, theater-range, massed, and modular Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to provide a flexible, operationally-responsive, risk-tolerant option in the air domain. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 11 July 2026 Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals. — Reuters, NBC news, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for mass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mass
  1. populace
  2. loads
  3. body
  4. weight
  5. majority
  6. throng
  7. reciprocal
  8. accumulate
Noun
  • This is where the irrationality of antisemitic conspiracy gains no purchase among a reasoning and pragmatic populace; where government is led by people who grasp, and embrace, the seriousness of their responsibilities.
    — Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Since the 1700s, Jamaica’s populace has been dominated by the descendants of African slaves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • Instead, Hongqi said the solar roof could help supply lower-voltage electrical loads, including air conditioning, refrigerators and the vehicle’s sentry or monitoring systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Together, Jaybush, Brad Chambers, and the American Heavy Moving team figured out a route through the city that avoided street trees, tight turns, and roads that run above old, fragile sewer pipes, which aren’t rated for heavy loads.
    — Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of loads
Noun
  • The eight-member body oversees McCuskey’s work and consists of four Democratic and four Republican legislators, including Keicher.
    — Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than just a reproductive issue, endometriosis is a whole-body condition, affecting everything from emotional regulation to hormone production and gut health.
    — Bella Webb, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of body
Noun
  • Some look at a 69-68 record and disagree, but Crane’s is the only opinion that carries any weight.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Intermittent fasting is a popular dietary approach that many people follow to manage their weight.
    — Teresa Maalouf, Verywell Health, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of weight
Noun
  • The majority of the patch’s family-friendly activities are open during the festival, save for its corn maze.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the company excluded the majority of those harms from its public reports, designing its metrics so that many of the worst encounters were never captured.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of majority
Noun
  • The cows made their way to the altar — with the handlers helping to guide them with hay — through throngs of people and a few mascots sitting in seats and lined up on the streets, who stopped by just to see the unique occasion.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Officers also described the throng of parents searching for children and spouses who worked at the school, including a woman who said her husband had grabbed their child and hidden near an ice machine in the basement of the church.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throng
Adjective
  • That reciprocal impact, according to Canadian officials, will purposefully target key sectors and states — like Michigan — with particular economic and political importance in the United States.
    — Grant Schwab, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Autistic people of all genders often struggle with nuances of social communication like decoding nonverbal cues, identifying shifts in tone or asking reciprocal questions.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of reciprocal
Verb
  • But at some point, continually accumulating more can become an incomplete vision of success.
    — True Tamplin, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In Cam Miller’s first start at quarterback against the Giants, the Dolphins’ offense had accumulated 102 yards by game’s end.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of accumulate

Browse Nearby Words

masques
mass
massacre
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Cite this Entry

“Mass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mass. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mass

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mass

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