Synonyms

summon

American

[suhm-uhn] / ˈsʌm ən /

verb (used with object)

to call upon to do something specified.
to call for the presence of, as by command, message, or signal; call.
to call or notify to appear at a specified place, especially before a court.

to summon a defendant.
to authorize or order a gathering of; call together by authority, as for deliberation or action.

to summon parliament.
to call into action; rouse; call forth (often. followed byup ).

to summon all one's courage.

summon British

/ ˈsʌmən /

verb

to order to come; send for, esp to attend court, by issuing a summons
to order or instruct (to do something) or call (to something)

the bell summoned them to their work
to call upon to meet or convene
(often foll by up) to muster or gather (one's strength, courage, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See call.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of summon

First recorded in 1175–1225; from Medieval Latin summonēre “to summon,” Latin: “to remind unofficially, suggest,” equivalent to sum- sum- + monēre “to remind, warn”; replacing Middle English somonen, from Old French semondre, somondre, from unattested Vulgar Latin summonere, Latin summonēre, as above

Explanation

To summon is to formally call for the presence of someone. If, as soccer team captain, you find that your team members are an hour late for the big game, you might need to summon them — and fast. Summon can also mean “gather up,” as one might summon one’s courage" before that big game. Summon is also occasionally used in reference to the supernatural, as when one tries to call forth a spirit or ghost. If you think the team needs additional help on the field, you might try to summon some supernatural backup.

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Vocabulary lists containing summon

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The movie has no time to mine the psychology underneath their clash, let alone summon a sniffle for the other pitiful characters who die during this escapade.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

For much of the final round, though, Clark wasn’t able to summon that same sort of magic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

The WHO chief and Brazil's president on Monday urged the G7 to summon the "courage" to finish the international treaty on handling future pandemics.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

The valets in the lobby summon golf carts with a flick of the wrist, graciously driving me back and forth from the parking lot.

From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026

She closed her eyes and tried to summon sleep.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023