lots

British  

/ lɒts /

plural noun

1. (often foll by of) great numbers or quantities

   lots of people

   to eat lots

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adverb

1. a great deal

2. (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

“When you drive a car you don’t just meet lots of different people,” she says, “you learn to really see them.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

As a fellow single person who doesn’t plan to own a home, it feels like lots of the forward-thinking financial advice hinges on your having kids or buying a house.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026

If complying with environmental regulations was easier, Buntrock told the Journal, “we’d have lots more competition. A lot of CEOs of other companies figure, ‘Why do we need it?’

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

Retirement accounts are suffering, and debt collectors are finding lots of work.

From Slate • Apr. 28, 2026

Anastasia had told him that there would be lots of books at nursery school, but he was afraid that there might not be one with airplane pictures.

From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• oodles