a lot
[ uh-lot ]
/ ə ˈlɒt /
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noun
adverb
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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 , allotDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.