What does "mass" mean?
Matter, material.; A quantity of matter cohering so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size.
Mass
/mæs/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Matter, material.; A quantity of matter cohering so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size.
- Grammar: mass is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a great number, a lot, a lot of, a mass of.
- Useful contrasts: high culture traditions, individual organism, individual unit.
- Usage evidence: There is a mass of dark clouds in the sky.
How to use "mass"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mass" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mass" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mass" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mass" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mass" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a great number" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mass", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Matter, material.; A quantity of matter cohering so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity, usually of considerable size. countable, physical, uncountable
"And if it were not for theſe Principles the Bodies of the Earth, Planets, Comets, Sun, and all things in them would grow cold and freeze, and become inactive Maſſes ; […]."
- 2 The Eucharist, now especially in Roman Catholicism.
- 3 The principal liturgical service of the Church, encompassing both a scripture service (Liturgy of the Word) and a eucharistic service (Liturgy of the Eucharist), which includes the consecration and oblation (offering) of the host and wine. countable, uncountable
- 4 (Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches) the celebration of the Eucharist wordnet
- 5 Matter, material.; Precious metal, especially gold or silver. countable, obsolete, physical, uncountable
"Right in the midst the Goddesse selfe did stand / Upon an altar of some costly masse […]."
Show 23 more definitions
- 6 Celebration of the Eucharist.
- 7 A similar ceremony offered by a number of Christian churches. countable, uncountable
- 8 the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field wordnet
- 9 Matter, material.; A measure of the inertia of a mass of matter, one of four fundamental properties of matter. SI unit of mass: kilogram. countable, physical, uncountable
- 10 The main kind of church service, in some denominations. broadly
"She went to mass every Sunday for many years, and when she retired, she took to going on some weekdays, too."
- 11 A musical composition set to portions, or all, of the Mass. countable, uncountable
- 12 the property of something that is great in magnitude wordnet
- 13 Matter, material.; A medicinal substance made into a cohesive, homogeneous lump, of consistency suitable for making pills. countable, physical, uncountable
"blue mass"
- 14 The sacrament of the Eucharist. usually
- 15 a sequence of prayers constituting the Christian Eucharistic rite wordnet
- 16 Matter, material.; A palpable or visible abnormal globular structure; a tumor. countable, physical, uncountable
- 17 A musical setting of parts of the mass.
- 18 a musical setting for a Mass wordnet
- 19 Matter, material.; Excess body mass, especially in the form of muscle hypertrophy. countable, physical, uncountable
"After all, muscle maniacs go "ga ga" over mass no matter how it's presented."
- 20 an ill-structured collection of similar things (objects or people) wordnet
- 21 A large quantity; a sum. countable, uncountable
"[…]he hath discovered to me the way to five or six of the richest mines which the Spaniard hath, and whence all the mass of gold that comes into Spain in effect is drawn."
- 22 the common people generally wordnet
- 23 A large quantity; a sum.; Bulk; magnitude; body; size. countable, uncountable
"Witness this army of such mass and charge / Led by a delicate and tender prince,"
- 24 a body of matter without definite shape wordnet
- 25 A large quantity; a sum.; The principal part; the main body. countable, uncountable
"Night closed upon the pursuit, and aided the mass of the fugitives in their escape."
- 26 (often followed by ‘of’) a large number or amount or extent wordnet
- 27 A large quantity; a sum.; A large body of individuals, especially persons. countable, uncountable
"The mass of spectators didn't see the infraction on the field."
- 28 A large quantity; a sum.; The lower classes of persons. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"The masses are revolting."
Verb
- 1 To form or collect into a mass; to form into a collective body; to assemble. ergative
"They would unavoidably mix up the whole of these declarations, and mass them together, although the Judge might direct the Jury not to do so."
- 2 To celebrate mass. intransitive, obsolete
"massing priests"
- 3 join together into a mass or collect or form a mass wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Involving a mass of things; concerning a large quantity or number. not-comparable, usually
"There is evidence of mass extinctions in the distant past."
- 2 Involving a mass of people; of, for, or by the masses. not-comparable, usually
"Mass unemployment resulted from the financial collapse."
Adjective
- 1 formed of separate units gathered into a mass or whole wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 Abbreviation of Massachusetts. abbreviation, alt-of
"the Mass Pike"
- 2 Alternative form of Mas. alt-of, alternative
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
high culture traditionsindividual organismindividual unitswedish droppe
Example
"There is a mass of dark clouds in the sky."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mass"?
Common synonyms include: a great number, a lot, a lot of, a mass of, a world of, abundance.
How do you use "mass" in a sentence?
There is a mass of dark clouds in the sky.
How do you pronounce "mass"?
Pronounced /mæs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
In late Middle English (circa 1400) as masse in the sense of "lump, quantity of matter", from Anglo-Norman masse, in Old French attested from the 11th century, via late Latin massa (“lump, dough”), from Ancient Greek μᾶζα (mâza, “barley-cake, lump (of dough)”). The Greek noun may be derived from the verb μάσσω (mássō, “to knead”), ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European *maǵ- (“to oil, knead”), although this is uncertain. Doublet of masa. The sense of "a large number or quantity" arises circa 1580. The scientific sense is from 1687 (as Latin massa) in the works of Isaac Newton, with the first English use (as mass) occurring in 1704.
Etymology 2
From Middle English messe, masse, from Old English mæsse (“the mass, church festival”) and Old French messe, from Vulgar Latin *messa (“Eucharist, dismissal”), from Late Latin missa, noun use of feminine past participle of classical Latin mittere (“to send”), from ite, missa est (“go, (the assembly) is dismissed”), reanalyzed as "go, [that] is the missa", last words of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Compare Dutch mis (“mass”), German Messe (“mass”), Danish messe (“mass”), Swedish mässa (“mass; expo”), Icelandic messa (“mass”). More at mission.
Etymology 3
From Middle English messe, from Old English mæsse and Old French messe, both from Late Latin missa, from Latin mittō (“to send, dismiss”), compare French messe. In the ancient churches, the public services at which the catechumens were permitted to be present were called missa catechumenorum, ending with the reading of the Gospel. Then they were dismissed with the words: "Ite, missa est", the congregation is dismissed. After that the sacrifice proper began. At its close the same words were said to those who remained. So the word gave the name of Mass to the sacrifice in the Catholic Church. Compare Christmas, Lammas, missal. Doublet of missa.
Etymology 4
Short forms.