much
much Lexical Profile
much Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Great in quantity, amount, measure, or degree (used before uncountable nouns).
"We did not have much time left before the train departed."
• adverb
To a great extent or degree; by a large margin (often modifying comparative adjectives, adverbs, or verbs).
"She feels much better today after getting a full night of rest."
Frequently or often (especially in negative or interrogative clauses).
"Do you travel to the coast much during the winter months?"
• pronoun
A great amount, quantity, or degree of something.
"They accomplished much during their first year of research."
• noun
A large amount, quantity, or extent of something.
"Much of the original manuscript was lost in the fire."
Something impressive, notable, or of great value or importance (chiefly used in negative phrases).
"The old cabin was not much to look at, but it kept us warm and dry."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a determiner and pronoun, 'much' is used exclusively with uncountable (mass) nouns (e.g., 'much water', 'much time'), whereas 'many' is used with plural countable nouns. In everyday affirmative statements, 'much' often sounds overly formal when modifying an object, so speakers typically prefer 'a lot of' or 'plenty of' unless 'much' is preceded by 'so', 'too', or 'as'.
• Rhymes for much
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Middle English 'muche', a shortened form of 'muchel', which comes from Old English 'micel' meaning 'great in size or amount', ultimately tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *meg- ('great').