summon Definition
- 1to officially order someone to come to a place
- 2to call forth or bring about
- 3to request someone to appear in court
Using summon: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "summon" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The boss summoned me to his office.
Example
The magician summoned a rabbit out of the hat.
Example
The court has summoned the witness to testify.
Example
The president summoned a meeting of the cabinet.
summon Synonyms and Antonyms
Idioms Using summon
Example
If you don't study for your exams, you're summoning the devil.
Example
The artist summoned a masterpiece out of thin air.
Example
The shareholders summoned the CEO to account for the company's poor performance.
Phrases with summon
summon up
to bring to mind or recall
Example
I can't summon up the courage to tell her how I feel.
to gather or muster the necessary strength, courage, or willpower to do something
Example
She summoned the strength to climb the mountain despite her exhaustion.
Example
The smell of fresh bread always summons my grandmother's kitchen to mind.
Origins of summon
from Old English 'summonian', meaning 'to remind secretly'
Summary: summon in Brief
The verb 'summon' [ˈsʌmən] means to officially order someone to come to a place, to call forth or bring about, or to request someone to appear in court. It can be used in phrases like 'summon up,' meaning to bring to mind, and idioms like 'summon the devil,' meaning to invite trouble. 'Summon' is often used formally, as in 'The court has summoned the witness to testify.'