lots
Britishplural noun
adverb
-
a great deal
-
(intensifier)
the journey is lots quicker by train
Explanation
When you have lots of something, you have a large amount. When your dad asks how much ice cream you want in your bowl, you can answer, "Lots." In some cases, you can use the informal lots interchangeably with a lot, like when you promise your teacher you'll spend lots of time studying your spelling words. And if you're recovering nicely from the flu, you can say you feel lots better. Lots was originally used this way beginning around 1800, and even though it doesn't conform to formal English, we still use it lots today.
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.
Stapley said there were "lots of people calling and asking about it".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
A foot-long sub is a carb bomb, but it has saving graces: lots of protein and the appearance of fresh ingredients sliced to order.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
He noted butterflies "do like hot and sunny weather", with the summer providing "great flying conditions for lots of species".
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
And if he pitches, lots could happen to him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
He’d seen lots of people on bicycles—they lived near a college and the students mostly rode bikes to class—and he’d seen other cars, and some people on foot.
From "A Boy Called Bat" by Elana K. Arnold
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
