summon
gb/sˈʌmən/ us/sˈʌmən/
B2
English
~ 7100
Senses
0 senses
Verb
formal
B2
action
1
officially order someone to come
To tell someone in an official way that they must come to a place, often for a meeting or a court case.
Usage pattern:
to summon [someone] to [a place/event]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *summon* instead of more common verbs like *call* or *invite* in everyday speech. *Summon* sounds formal and official, and is usually used for serious or legal situations, not for casual plans with friends.
Synonyms
order (Stresses authority and command, without the formal or legal flavor of ‘summon’.)
|
convene (Usually used for meetings or groups, not for individual people being called by authority.)
Antonyms
dismiss (Means to formally send someone away or end their duty instead of ordering them to appear.)
Collocations
summon someone to court
|summon a witness
|summon an emergency meeting
|summon Parliament
|summon the committee
Themes
law
|work
|government
Examples
- The company summoned all department heads to an urgent meeting.
- He was summoned to court to give evidence about the accident.
- The prime minister summoned the ambassador to explain the incident.
- The teacher summoned her parents to discuss his behavior.
- Jurors were summoned to appear on Monday morning.
Learner examples
- She was summoned to the office by her boss.
- All workers were summoned to a safety meeting.
- He was summoned to court after the car crash.
- The manager summoned the team to discuss the problem.
- The king summoned his advisers to the palace.
Verb
B2
action
2
call someone to come when needed
To call someone to come to you because you need their help or service, often quickly.
Usage pattern:
to summon [someone] / to summon [help]
Common mistake:
Learners may think *summon* always sounds polite, but it can sound very serious or urgent. In daily situations, *call* or *get* (e.g. *get a doctor*) are more natural.
Synonyms
call (More common and general; does not carry the slightly formal or urgent tone of *summon*.)
|
send for (Very close in meaning, but sounds slightly old-fashioned or formal in modern speech.)
Antonyms
send away (Means to tell someone to leave instead of asking them to come and help.)
Collocations
summon help
|summon a doctor
|summon an ambulance
|summon the police
|summon the waiter
Themes
daily life
|emergencies
|health
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- When he collapsed, they immediately summoned an ambulance.
- She summoned a doctor as soon as the child’s fever spiked.
- The customer angrily summoned the manager to complain.
- Security was summoned after the fight broke out.
- If the pain gets worse, summon medical help right away.
Learner examples
- We must summon help quickly.
- They summoned a doctor for the old man.
- She summoned the waiter to pay the bill.
- He summoned the police after the break-in.
- If you feel very sick, summon an ambulance.
Verb
B2
action
3
gather inner strength or courage
To try hard to find and use a feeling or strength inside yourself, like courage or energy.
Usage pattern:
to summon [the courage/strength/energy] (to [do something])
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *take courage* or *find courage* where *summon the courage* or *have the courage* are more natural. Also, *summon* in this sense is normally used with abstract nouns like *courage*, *strength*, or *energy*, not with people.
Synonyms
muster (Very close in meaning; often used with the same objects like *courage* or *energy*, sometimes slightly more literary.)
|
gather (More general; does not specifically suggest inner effort but can be used in similar contexts like *gather your strength*.)
Antonyms
give up (Describes the opposite attitude—stopping effort instead of forcing yourself to find more strength or courage.)
Collocations
summon the courage
|summon the strength
|summon all your energy
|summon the willpower
|summon a smile
Themes
emotions
|personal_development
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I finally summoned the courage to ask for a raise.
- She summoned all her strength and pushed the car to the side of the road.
- He summoned a weak smile, despite the bad news.
- They summoned the energy to keep working late into the night.
- She summoned the willpower to quit smoking after many failed attempts.
Learner examples
- He cannot summon the courage to speak.
- She summoned the strength to stand up again.
- I must summon the energy to finish this work.
- She summoned a smile, but she was very sad.
- They summoned the courage to tell the truth.
Verb
literary
C1
action
4
call up a spirit or creature
To use magic or special power to make a spirit, demon, or other unreal thing come to you.
Usage pattern:
to summon [a spirit/creature]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse this sense when they really want the general meaning *call* or *invite*. This supernatural meaning is mostly used in fantasy, horror, games, or stories, not in normal real-life situations.
Synonyms
conjure (Often used in magical or fantasy contexts; sometimes sounds even more strongly connected to magic rituals.)
Antonyms
banish (In fantasy or magical contexts, means to send a spirit or creature away instead of calling it forth.)
Collocations
summon a demon
|summon a spirit
|summon a ghost
|summon a dragon
|summon a familiar
Themes
fantasy
|religion
|games
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The wizard raised his staff to summon a powerful storm.
- According to the legend, the ritual can summon ancient spirits.
- Players can summon a dragon to fight for them in the game.
- She tried to summon the dead king’s ghost for advice.
- The spell accidentally summoned a demon from the underworld.
Learner examples
- In the story, the witch can summon spirits.
- The game lets you summon a dragon to help you.
- The priest tried to summon an angel.
- The book says the spell can summon a ghost.
- They used magic to summon a dark power.
Verb
literary
C1
action
5
bring a memory or image to mind
To make someone remember something or see an image in their mind.
Usage pattern:
to summon [memories/images/visions] of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense in very casual speech, but it sounds literary or poetic. In everyday talk, *bring back memories* or *remind me of* are more natural than *summon memories*.
Synonyms
evoke (Very close in meaning; more common in literary and critical writing, slightly more neutral than *summon* here.)
Antonyms
suppress (Means to push memories or images out of the mind instead of bringing them into awareness.)
Collocations
summon memories of
|summon images of
|summon visions of
|summon the past
|summon a picture of
Themes
memory
|art
|emotions
|education
Examples
- The music summoned memories of his childhood summers by the sea.
- Her writing vividly summons images of city life in the 1920s.
- The smell of rain on hot pavement can summon powerful emotions.
- The painting summons visions of a world long forgotten.
- That old photograph instantly summoned the faces of friends he had lost.
Learner examples
- This song summons memories of my school days.
- The film summons images of war and pain.
- The smell of bread can summon feelings of home.
- The story summons pictures of life many years ago.
- The photo summons many happy memories.
Grammar
Dictionary form
summon
IPA
GB/sˈʌmən/
US/sˈʌmən/
Syllables & stress
sum - mon (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sum)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: summon
- 3rd Person Singular: summons
- Present Participle: summoning
- Past: summoned
Word family
Forms
Related words
summoner
noun
Expressions
be summoned to appear
1/bˈi sˈʌmənd tə əpˈɪɹ/
fixed phrase
formal
be officially ordered to be present
To receive an official order that you must be present at a court, meeting, or with an authority.
Examples
- Several witnesses were summoned to appear before the committee.
- He was summoned to appear at the hearing next month.
summon a doctor
1/sˈʌmən ə dˈɑktɚ/
fixed phrase
urgently call for a doctor
To quickly call a doctor to come and help someone who is sick or hurt.
Examples
- They summoned a doctor when the baby’s breathing became shallow.
- The hotel staff immediately summoned a doctor for the guest.
summon a meeting
1/sˈʌmən ə mˈitɪŋ/
fixed phrase
formal
officially call a meeting
To officially tell people to come together for a meeting, usually for a serious or important reason.
Examples
- The board summoned a meeting to discuss the crisis.
- An emergency meeting was summoned after the data breach.
summon a spirit
1/sˈʌmən ə spˈɪɹɪt/
fixed phrase
literary
call a spirit with magic
To use magic or a special ritual to make a spirit come, usually in stories or films.
Examples
- In the film, the characters try to summon a spirit from the other side.
- The ritual is said to summon a spirit who answers questions about the future.
summon help
1/sˈʌmən hˈɛlp/
fixed phrase
call for help to come
To quickly call someone to come and help you, especially in an emergency.
Examples
- If the fire spreads, summon help immediately.
- She managed to crawl to the phone and summon help.
summon someone to court
1/sˈʌmən sˈʌmwˌʌn tə kˈɔɹt/
fixed phrase
formal
officially order to appear in court
To officially tell someone that they must come to a court of law.
Examples
- The company was summoned to court over health and safety violations.
- He was summoned to court to answer the charges against him.
summon up
1/sˈʌmən ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
gather needed inner strength
To try hard to find and use a feeling or strength inside yourself, like courage, energy, or interest.
Examples
- She finally summoned up the courage to speak in front of the class.
- I couldn’t summon up enough energy to go out after work.
- He summoned up a smile, even though he was exhausted.
summon up the courage
1/sˈʌmən ˈʌp ðə kˈɚɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
find courage to do something hard
To make yourself feel brave enough to do something that is difficult or scary.
Examples
- He couldn’t summon up the courage to tell her the truth.
- I’m trying to summon up the courage to quit my job and move abroad.
summon up the courage
2/sˈʌmən ˈʌp ðə kˈɚɪd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
deliberately call on your courage
To make a strong effort to feel brave enough to do something hard or frightening.
Examples
- She summoned up the courage to speak to her manager.
- He finally summoned up the courage to visit the dentist after years of avoiding it.
- I’m trying to summon up the courage to move to another country.