To muster means to gather together or summon, especially when you need strength, courage, or people for an important purpose. When you muster your courage before giving a speech, you're pulling together all your bravery from inside yourself. When a coach musters the team before a big game, she's gathering everyone together with focus and purpose.

The word suggests effort and intention. You don't just casually collect things when you muster them. You're deliberately assembling what you need for something challenging. A leader might muster troops for battle, or a ship's captain might call all sailors to muster on deck for an important announcement. In old sailing ships, muster meant the official roll call where every crew member had to be present and accounted for.

You might muster the energy to finish your homework after a long day, or muster enthusiasm for a chore you're not excited about. The phrase “pass muster” means to meet a required standard. If your room passes muster, it's clean enough to satisfy your parents' inspection.

When you muster something, you're gathering all the resources you have, whether that's people, courage, strength, or determination, and preparing to face whatever comes next.