1.
to recruit, to solicit, to call for
To publicly seek participants, applicants, donations, or ideas from a group of people.
ボランティアを募る。
To recruit volunteers.
会社は新しいアイデアを社員から募った。
The company solicited new ideas from employees.
被災地への寄付を広く募っている。
They are broadly soliciting donations for the disaster-affected area.
2.
to grow stronger, to intensify, to mount
For feelings, conditions, or situations to gradually become more intense or severe.
不安が募る。
Anxiety is mounting.
寒さが募り、外出するのがつらくなった。
The cold intensified and it became hard to go outside.
待てば待つほど、いらだちが募った。
The longer I waited, the more my frustration grew.
TRANSITIVITY: Sense 1 is 他動詞 (transitive): Xを募る. Sense 2 is 自動詞 (intransitive): Xが募る.
USAGE:
The two senses have clearly different grammatical patterns. Sense 1 (recruit/solicit) takes a direct object with を. Sense 2 (intensify) takes a subject with が and is typically used with feelings or conditions.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
Sense 1:
- ボランティアを募る: to recruit volunteers
- 寄付を募る: to solicit donations
- 参加者を募る: to call for participants
- アイデアを募る: to solicit ideas
Sense 2:
- 不安が募る: anxiety mounts
- 焦りが募る: impatience grows
- 寒さが募る: the cold intensifies
- 思いが募る: feelings deepen