a lot

American

[uh lot] / ə ˈlɒt /

noun

lot.

adverb

lot.

a lot Idioms

Very many, a large number; also, very much. For example, A lot of people think the economy is declining, or Sad movies always made her cry a lot. It is sometimes put as a whole lot for greater emphasis, as in I learned a whole lot in his class. It may also emphasize a comparative indication of amount, as in We need a whole lot more pizza to feed everyone, or Mary had a lot less nerve than I expected. [Colloquial; early 1800s]

Spelling

As a noun and adverb, a lot is frequently misspelled as alot.

Etymology

Origin of a lot

First recorded in 1820–30

Compare meaning

How does a-lot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

allot vs. a lot

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

a lot

But trade matters to a lot of people, and blowback was inevitable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

Speaking about the final judging session, Dame Mary told reporters on Monday: "There was a lot of discussion, disagreement and debate. But nobody stomped off."

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

For a housing decision, neutral territory can be helpful, so if you both sell and move into a new place, that might solve a lot of problems.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 9, 2026

Once the brain connects the taste of coffee with caffeine's stimulating effects, Knight explained, "that coffee starts to taste a lot better."

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026