accumulating

/əˈkjuː.mjə.leɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [əkjˈumjəlˌetɪŋ] /əˈkjuː.mjə.leɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [əkjˈumjəlˌetɪŋ] /ə-ˈkyü-m(y)ə-ˌlāt/ (ame, mw)

accumulating — verb

  • accumulatingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • accumulatings3rd person singular
  • accumulatinging-ing form
  • accumulatingedpast simple

1. to bring together a growing collection of items, wealth, or information, typical

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

to bring together a growing collection of items, wealth, or information, typically over months or years

例句

Over forty years, Grandmother Paloma accumulated a roomful of handmade quilts.

accumulate + noun: physical objects gathered over decades

Vikram accumulated hundreds of rare stamps while living in six different countries.

同義詞
  • amass

    more formal, often used for large amounts of wealth or data

  • collect

    broader term; does not emphasise the long time span

  • gather

    less formal; can describe quick or casual bringing-together

  • stockpile

    implies storing up for future use, often in large quantities

反義詞
  • disperse

    to scatter or spread widely

  • scatter

    to throw or drop things in different directions

文法句型

accumulate + noun phrase

用法筆記

Subject is typically a person or organisation actively gathering things. Object can be physical items, money, information, or abstract resources like power or influence.

常見錯誤

❌I am accumulating my room with books.
✅I am accumulating books in my room.
💡'accumulate' takes the thing collected as its direct object, not the place.
❌She accumulated a lot of.
✅She accumulated a lot of debt.
💡'accumulate' must be followed by what is being collected.

2. to grow larger in size, number, or amount over time, often as a natural or unint

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to grow larger in size, number, or amount over time, often as a natural or unintended result

例句

Dust accumulated on every shelf in Marta's workshop while she travelled abroad.

intransitive: dust or dirt accumulates as a natural process

Heavy snow accumulated on the roof of Imani's cabin over a single weekend.

同義詞
  • build up

    more casual; common in everyday speech

  • pile up

    often suggests something negative or messy

  • mount

    frequently used for pressure, debt, or problems

  • accrue

    formal; used mainly in financial or legal contexts

反義詞
  • diminish

    to become smaller or less

  • dwindle

    to gradually decrease until little remains

用法筆記

Subject is usually inanimate — dust, snow, debt, evidence, stress. Describes a passive process, not a deliberate action. Distinguish from sense 1 (GATHER GRADUALLY), where a person intentionally collects things.

常見錯誤

❌The snow accumulated the roads.
✅Snow accumulated on the roads.
💡In this sense, 'accumulate' is intransitive; the thing doing the accumulating is the subject.
❌I accumulated weight over the holidays.
✅My weight accumulated over the holidays.
💡When weight piles up without deliberate effort, use the intransitive form.