much

American  

[muhch] / mʌtʃ /

adjective

more, most

1. great in quantity, measure, or degree.

   too much cake.

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noun

1. a great quantity, measure, or degree.

   Much of his research was unreliable.

2. a great, important, or notable thing or matter.

   The house is not much to look at.

adverb

more, most

1. to a great extent or degree; greatly; far.

   to talk too much; much heavier.

2. nearly, approximately, or about.

   This is much like the others.

3. Slang. (used after an adjective, noun, or verb to form a question that comments on someone’s intense feelings or extreme actions in a way that is critical, sarcastic, teasing, etc.): Geeking out much?

   Jealous much?

   Geeking out much?

idioms

1. not so much, not.

2. much as,

   1. almost the same as.

      We need exercise, much as we need nourishment.

   2. however much.

      Much as she wanted to stay at the party, she had to leave.

3. too much,

   1. excellent; great.

      His band is too much, especially live in concert.

   2. overwhelming or intolerable.

      His memories of the life they had together were just too much.

   3. outrageous; extreme.

      She's too much—but so hilarious!

4. make much of,

   1. to treat, represent, or consider as of great importance.

      to make much of trivial matters.

   2. to treat with great consideration; show fondness for; flatter.

much British  

/ mʌtʃ /

determiner

1. 1. (usually used with a negative) a great quantity or degree of

      there isn't much honey left

   2. ( as pronoun )

      much has been learned from this

2. informal rather excessive

3. exactly that

   I suspected as much when I heard

4. See make of

5. not to any appreciable degree or extent

   he's not much of an actor really

6. informal of a low standard

   this beer is not up to much

7. (used with a negative) to have a high opinion of

   I don't think much of his behaviour

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adverb

1. considerably

   they're much better now

2. practically; nearly (esp in the phrase much the same )

3. (usually used with a negative) often; a great deal

   it doesn't happen much in this country

4. even though; although

   much as I'd like to, I can't come

adjective

1. (predicative; usually used with a negative) impressive or important

   this car isn't much

much More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing much

• (much) sought after
• as much
• as much as
• make much of
• not miss a trick (much)
• not think much of
• pretty much
• so much
• so much for
• so much the better
• take it (just so much)
• take on (too much)
• too much of a good thing
• without so much as

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Etymology

Origin of much

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English muche, moche, shortened variant of muchel, mochel, Old English mycel; replacing Middle English miche(l), Old English micel “great, much” ( cf. mickle), cognate with Old Norse mikill, Gothic mikils, Greek mégal-, expanded stem of mégas “great”

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

much more most

It also spreads across the ocean much more slowly than those models suggest.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

How much time does Harrison intend to dedicate to the project?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Researchers still need to determine what causes the protein to decline with age, how much of the resulting physical and cognitive deterioration can be prevented, and how long any benefits might last.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

“As much as I can, really,” he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

"Don't overeat. Health is tied to the stomach! "Don't drink too much, either.

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

Its eruptions are often relatively modest, but the volcano is also capable of producing much more hazardous activity.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

They are ruled by the territorialism of their ego more often than they are by love, and they might not even always be aware of that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Some changes may simply be more subtle or more difficult to capture with the measures used in the study.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

The fact that he hasn’t locked you down after so many years is not because he wants to “be more stable,” even if he’s telling himself that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

In time, the pinpointing of control areas will become more and more detailed.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

For Rallabandi, one of the most important aspects of the study is that a relatively simple physical process can explain complicated motion seen in the real world.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026

Following her critically acclaimed “Fountain Baby,” the Ghanaian American singer emerges with “Black Star,” her most fearless and culturally resonant album yet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

“We’re in an unusual position where the most competitive race is the top of the ticket,” Mackowiak said.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

Hutchinson played 200-plus games in the Championship, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday, where fans remember him fondly.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

The most colorful description of Phineas at Barnum's museum comes from Alton Blackington, a Boston radio and TV reporter who broadcasts his account a century after Phineas's death.

From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman

Related Words

• a great deal
• considerably
• exceptionally
• extremely
• frequently
• highly
• indeed
• often
• regularly
• very