definitions

a lot

[ uh lot ]
/ ə ˈlɒt /

noun

lot(def 14).

adverb

lot(def 21).

Nearby words

a list, a little, a little bird, a little knowledge, a little learning is a dangerous thing, a lot, a man is known by the company he keeps, a man's home is his castle, a man's reach should exceed his grasp, a mensa et thoro, a midsummer night's dream

Can be confused

a lot allot

Usage note

As a noun and adverb, a lot is frequently misspelled as alot.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Idioms and Phrases with alot

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.