gather strength

verb

To build up the motivation to do something difficult.

“The campaign's strategy is gathering strength.”

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Meanings

verbgather strength (third-person singular simple present gathers strength, present participle gathering strength, simple past and past participle gathered strength)

present singular third person gathers strength · participle present gathering strength · participle past gathered strength · past gathered strength

  1. To build up the motivation to do something difficult.
  2. To become more effective.

    The campaign's strategy is gathering strength.

    1 more example

    Does this mean that freedom is valued only when it is lost, that the world must everywhere go through a dark phase of socialist totalitarianism before the forces of freedom can gather strength anew?

    1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 432

Translations

Hungarian erőt gyűjt
  • erőt gyűjtto build up motivation
Italian prendere forza
  • prendere forzato build up motivation
Cite this entry
APA

gather strength. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gather%20strength

MLA

“gather strength.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gather%20strength. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gather strength,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gather%20strength.

Source: gather strength on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.