mass
gb/mˈæs/ us/mˈæs/
B1
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
quantity
1
A large group or amount
A big group or amount of people or things together.
Usage pattern:
a mass of [things/people]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mass' with 'mess'. 'Mass' means a large group or amount; 'mess' means something dirty or not organized.
Synonyms
crowd (Refers specifically to a large group of people, often gathered physically.)
|
multitude (A large number of people or things, often more formal or literary.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single person or thing, the opposite of a collective group.)
Collocations
a mass of people
|mass production
|mass media
|mass movement
Themes
general
|measurement
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A mass of protesters filled the square.
- The disease spread quickly among the mass of refugees.
- There was a mass of paperwork on his desk.
- Tourists arrived in mass during the summer.
- She faced a mass of problems at work.
Learner examples
- A mass of people waited for the bus.
- There is a mass of books on the table.
- He saw a mass of clouds in the sky.
- The shop had a mass of toys.
- They came in mass to see the show.
Noun
technical
B2
quantity
2
Amount of matter in object
In science, how much matter is in something.
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse 'mass' with 'weight'; weight changes with gravity, mass does not.
Synonyms
weight (Often confused with mass, but weight depends on gravity while mass does not.)
Antonyms
weightlessness (The state of having no weight, often experienced in space.)
Collocations
measure mass
|mass and weight
|mass of an object
Themes
science
|physics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The mass of the planet is enormous.
- Mass is measured in kilograms.
- Mass does not change when you move an object to the Moon.
Learner examples
- The ball has a mass of 2 kg.
- Mass is not the same as weight.
- We measure mass in kilograms.
Noun
B2
entity
3
Solid lump or body
A lump or pile of something solid without a clear shape.
Usage pattern:
a mass of [material/substance]
Synonyms
lump (A small solid piece without a clear shape; smaller than most masses.)
Collocations
a mass of clay
|a solid mass
|tumor mass
Themes
general
|objects
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- A dark mass lay in the corner of the room.
- The doctor found a mass in her lung.
- Snow formed a heavy mass on the roof.
Learner examples
- I saw a dark mass on the floor.
- The cat slept on a soft mass of clothes.
- The cake became one hard mass.
Noun
formal
B1
event
4
Catholic religious ceremony
In the Catholic Church, a special service with bread and wine.
Synonyms
service (A general term for a religious gathering; not specific to Catholicism.)
Collocations
attend Mass
|celebrate Mass
|Sunday Mass
Themes
religion
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We go to Mass every Sunday.
- The priest celebrated Mass at dawn.
- Mass will be held at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
Learner examples
- We go to Mass on Sunday.
- Mass starts at nine o’clock.
- The priest leads the Mass.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mass
IPA
GB/mˈæs/
US/mˈæs/
Syllables & stress
mass (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (mass)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mass
- Plural: mass, masses
Word family
Forms
masses
noun
Core family
massive
adjective A2
massively
adverb
Related words
amass
verb
Advanced or less common
massiveness
noun
Expressions
in mass
1/ˈɪn mˈæs/
fixed phrase
Together as one group
All together as one big group or amount.
Examples
- The workers left in mass after the announcement.
- Fans arrived in mass to see the concert.
Mass media
1/mˈæs mˈidiə/
fixed phrase
Media reaching many people at once
Ways to send information to many people, like TV, radio, newspapers, and internet.
Examples
- The story was quickly spread by the mass media.
- Mass media plays a big role in shaping opinions.
Mass production
1/mˈæs pɹədˈʌkʃən/
fixed phrase
Making goods in large amounts quickly
Making many products quickly and all the same, usually in a factory.
Examples
- Mass production made cars cheaper for everyone.
- Mass production made cars affordable for many people.
- The company specializes in mass production of electronics.
- The company uses mass production to keep costs low.