a lot

[ uh-lot ]

/ ə ˈlɒt /

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See synonyms for: a lot / a lots on Thesaurus.com

noun

lot (def. 14).

adverb

lot (def. 21).

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QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of a lot

First recorded in 1820–30

usage note for a lot

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH a lot

a lot , allot

Words nearby a lot

alopecia, alopecia areata, à l'orange, losing battle, a, Alost, a lot, aloud, alouette, alow, Aloysius, alp

How to use a lot in a sentence

I mean, we all know we are tasked with a lot and sometimes it involves not just us fixing title tags or doing keyword research but other times it involves coding, graphic design and even a little tax law.
Google goes dark theme and passage ranking sees the light: Friday’s daily brief|Barry Schwartz|February 12, 2021|Search Engine Land
He just had that look, like a guy who had a lost a lot of weight really rapidly.
A rare disease, a covid diagnosis, a painful decision: The death of basketball coach Lew Hill|Dave Sheinin|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
There’s a lot of “new” for the Overwatch League’s London Spitfire.
The OWL’s London Spitfire are hoping to go big by going home|Teddy Amenabar|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
At higher levels, players spend a lot of their time in the air, competing for control of the ball before it even touches the ground.
Keep the football mode in ‘Rocket League,’ you cowards|Mikhail Klimentov|February 8, 2021|Washington Post

I feel like it will take my lifetime to continue pushing for change, and that it’s going to take a lot of people doing it at once.
'We All Have to Create Our Own Universe.' Producer and Artist Zackary Drucker on Telling Nuanced Trans Stories|Suyin Haynes|February 8, 2021|Time
Minaj dropped her newest single Anaconda on Monday, a Sir Mix-A-Lot sampling ode to her own assets.
Beyoncé’s ‘Flawless’ Lyrics Tease Her Elevator Drama with Jay Z|Amy Zimmerman|August 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But seriously, what do you get when mix the Seattle Symphony with Sir Mix-A-Lot?
Psy and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Hangover,’ World Cup Puppy, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|June 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
However, the economic impact of what Yergin calls “energy a-lot-less-dependent” is just beginning to manifest itself.
Best Business Longreads|William O’Connor|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Other Idioms and Phrases with a lot

a lot

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]

a lot

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Origin of a lot

usage note for a lot

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH a lot

Words nearby a lot

Words related to a lot

How to use a lot in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with a lot