a lot

American  

[uh lot] / ə ˈlɒt /

noun

1. lot.

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adverb

1. lot.

a lot Idioms  

1. 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]

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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

Explaining why the rules are so strict, Nicholson said that compared to the likes of digital cameras and laptops, "power banks have a much bigger battery, much stronger and get a lot hotter".

From BBC • May 25, 2026

When I started traveling a lot, businessmen would order a drink and have a $20 bill and the flight attendant would have to go up and down the plane looking for change.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026

They also “got a lot of money in exchange for giving up control of the exchanges.”

From MarketWatch • May 25, 2026

And overcoming it is a lot more difficult than previously thought, according to a new study.

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

She purses her lips and “hmms” a lot, trying to follow.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• entirely
• substantially
• totally
• wholly