这些名词均有“人们，人群”之意。
people : 最普通用词，不带任何色彩，泛指不确定数量的人们。
- Many people never do any exercise.
许多人从来不做任何运动。 - We’ve invited 30 people to our party.
我们邀请了30个人来参加聚会。 - People will think you’ve gone mad.
人们会以为你疯了。 - People like to be made to feel important.
人们都喜欢被别人看重。 - Now that we’ve discussed our problems, are people happy with the decisions we’ve made?
我们既已讨论完存在的问题，大家对所作的决定还满意吗？
masses : 指群众或平民，在西方国家含贬义指“与领导或受过高等教育的人相对的普通民众”，在我国含褒义。
- He was popular with the rich but failed to win the support of the masses.
他很受贵族阶层的欢迎，但没有赢得民众的支持。 - His music is commercial. It is aimed at the masses.
他的音乐走商业化路线，针对的是一般大众。
crowd : 本义指一大群紧紧聚集在一起的人群，现指群众整体，由个体结合的人群或大众。
- A crowd of about 15,000 attended the concert.
大约有15000人出席了音乐会。 - She goes around with a friendly crowd.
她常和一群朋友结伴外出。 - “Who was there?” “Oh, the usual crowd.”
“那儿都有谁?”“噢，还是往常那伙人。”
throng与crowd含义很接近，常可换用，但侧重指向前运动的群众。
- A huge throng had gathered around the speaker.
演讲者周围聚集了一大群人。 - An official pushed through the throng.
一名官员费力地挤过人群。 - The jubilant throng is like the waves of the sea.
欢腾的人群宛如大海的波涛。
mob : 含贬义，指乌合之众、暴民。
- The angry mob outside the jail was/were ready to riot.
监狱外愤怒的暴民准备闹事。 - a lynch mob
行私刑的暴民 - 50 people were killed in three days of mob violence.
3天的暴乱中有50人丧生。
#词汇辨析