much

/mətʃ/

/mətʃ/

Other forms: muchly; muches

Use the adjective much to mean "a lot" or "a large amount." If you don't get much sleep the night before a big test, you don't get a lot. If you get too much sleep, you may sleep through your alarm and miss the test.

Much is used as an adjective or adverb, but it always means a large quantity, extent, or degree. When something hurts very much, it's very painful, and when your friend says your gift is very much appreciated, she's emphasizing how happy it made her. The Middle English version of this word was muchel, "large," from the Old English micel, "great in amount or extent."

Definitions of much

1. adjective

   (quantifier used with mass nouns) great in quantity or degree or extent
   “not much rain”

   “much affection”

   “much grain is in storage”

   synonyms:

   overmuch

   very great in quantity; overabundant

   some

   relatively much but unspecified in amount or extent

   such

   of so extreme a degree or extent

   untold

   of an incalculable amount

   more, more than

   (comparative of `much' used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

   antonyms:

   little

   (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with `a') at least some

   small

   slight or limited; especially in degree or intensity or scope

   less

   (comparative of `little' usually used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning not as great in amount or degree
2. adverb

   to a great degree or extent
   “she's much better now”
3. adverb

   to a very great degree or extent
   “we enjoyed ourselves very much”

   “she was very much interested”

   synonyms: a good deal, a great deal, a lot, lots, very much
4. adverb

   (degree adverb used before a noun phrase) for all practical purposes but not completely
   “much the same thing happened every time”

   synonyms: practically
5. adverb

   frequently or in great quantities
   “I don't travel much”

   synonyms: a great deal, often
6. adverb

   very
   “he was much annoyed”
7. noun

   a great amount or extent
   “they did much for humanity”

   type of:

   large indefinite amount, large indefinite quantity

   an indefinite quantity that is above the average in size or magnitude