much

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English muche (“much, great”), apocopated variant of muchel (“much, great”), from Old English myċel, miċel (“big, much”), from Proto-West Germanic *mikil, from Proto-Germanic *mikilaz (“great, many, much”), from Proto-Indo-European *meǵh₂- (“big, stour, great”). See also mickle, muckle. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /mʌt͡ʃ/ (Northern England) IPA(key): /mʊt͡ʃ/ (General American) IPA(key): /mʌt͡ʃ/ (Canada) IPA(key): /mʌt͡ʃ/ (dialectal) IPA(key): /mʊt͡ʃ/ Rhymes: -ʌtʃ (Southern England, US, Canada) === Determiner === much (comparative more, superlative most) A large amount of. [from 13th c.] (in combinations such as 'as much', 'this much') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the quantity of something. (now archaic or nonstandard) A great number of; many (people). [from 13th c.] (now Caribbean, African-American, UK regional) many ( + plural countable noun). [from 13th c.] ==== Usage notes ==== Much is now generally used with uncountable nouns. The equivalent used with countable nouns is many. In positive contexts, much is widely avoided: I have a lot of money instead of I have much money. There are some exceptions to this, however: I have much hope for the future. A lot of these cases are emotive transitive verbs and nouns. I have much need for a new assistant. In parallel, I need it very much. Unlike many determiners, much is frequently modified by intensifying adverbs, as in “too much”, “very much”, “so much”, “not much”, and so on. (The same is true of many.) ==== Synonyms ==== a great deal of, (informal) a lot of ==== Antonyms ==== little ==== Related terms ==== how much too much ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === much (not comparable) (obsolete) Large, great. [12th–16th c.] (obsolete) Long in duration. === Adverb === much (comparative more, superlative most) To a great extent. (with a comparative adjective) for emphasis or to indicate a great difference Often; frequently. (in combinations such as 'as much', 'this much') Used to indicate or compare extent. (slang) Combining with an adjective or (occasionally) a noun, used in a rhetorical question to mock someone for having the specified quality. (obsolete) Almost. ==== Usage notes ==== As a verb modifier in positive contexts, much must in standard English be modified by another adverb: I like fish very much, I like fish so much, etc. but not *I like fish much. As a comparative intensifier, many can be used instead of much if it modifies the comparative form of many, i.e. more with a countable noun: many more people but much more snow. May be used in humorous questions to draw attention to somebody's undesirable behaviour: "desperate much?", "cherry-picking much?", etc. ==== Synonyms ==== (to a great extent): (informal) a great deal, (informal) a lot, greatly, highly, (informal) loads, plenty (slang, especially US), very much ==== Antonyms ==== (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”): less, little, few, almost, nearly ==== Translations ==== === Pronoun === much A large amount or great extent. === Derived terms === === References === “much adv.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present. === Anagrams === Chum, chum == Chuj == === Noun === much bird == Chuukese == === Verb === much to end == Czech == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [ˈmux] === Noun === much genitive plural of moucha == Old Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmut͡ʃ/ === Adverb === much apocopic form of mucho; very, greatly == Polish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈmux/ Rhymes: -ux Syllabification: much === Noun === much f genitive plural of mucha == Swedish == === Noun === much c archaic spelling of musch == Yola == === Adjective === much alternative form of mucha === References === Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 108 == Yucatec Maya == === Noun === much obsolete spelling of muuch