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much

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also:múch,mùch,müch,andMuch

English

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Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishmuche(“much, great”), apocopated variant ofmuchel(“much, great”), fromOld Englishmyċel,miċel(“big, much”), fromProto-West Germanic*mikil, fromProto-Germanic*mikilaz(“great, many, much”), fromProto-Indo-European*meǵh₂-(“big, stour, great”). See alsomickle,muckle.

Cognates

Cognate withScotsmickle,mukill,mekil,mikil(“big, large, great, much”),Middle Dutchmēkel(“great, many, much”),Middle High Germanmichel("great, many, much"; >Germanmichel(“great, big, large”)),Norwegian Bokmålmye(“much”),Norwegian Nynorskmykje(“much”),Swedishmycket(“much”),Danishmeget(“much”),Gothic𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃(mikils,“great, many”),Ancient Greekμέγας(mégas,“large, great”), ModernGreekμεγάλος(megálos,“large, great”).

Note thatEnglishmuch is not related toSpanishmucho, and their resemblance in both form and meaning is purely coincidental, asmucho derives fromLatinmultus and is not related to theGermanic forms. Instead, related toSpanishmaño.

Pronunciation

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Determiner

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much (comparativemore,superlativemost)

  1. A large amount of.[from 13th c.]
    Do you think I havemuch chance of catching the train on time?
    Aftermuch discussion, we decided to set about the task withmuch enthusiasm.
    Much of literature is concerned with stylistics.
    • 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen],Persuasion; published inNorthanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume(please specify |volume=III or IV), London:John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818),→OCLC:
      As it was, he did nothing withmuch zeal, but sport; and his time was otherwise trifled away, without benefit from books or anything else.
    • 2011 February 24, “Wisconsin and wider”, inThe Economist:
      Unless matters take a nastier turn, neither side hasmuch incentive to compromise.
  2. (in combinations such as 'as much', 'this much')Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the quantity of something.
    Add thismuch water and no more.
    Take asmuch time as you like.
  3. (now archaic or nonstandard) A greatnumber of;many (people).[from 13th c.]
  4. (now Caribbean, African-American, UK regional)many ( + plural countable noun).[from 13th c.]
    • 1977,Bob Marley, “So Much Things to Say”:
      They got somuch things to say right now, they got somuch things to say.

Usage notes

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  • Much is now generally used withuncountable nouns. The equivalent used withcountable nouns ismany. In positive contexts,much is widely avoided:I havea lot of money instead ofI havemuch money. There are some exceptions to this, however:I havemuch hope for the future. A lot of these cases are emotive transitive verbs and nouns.I havemuch need for a new assistant. In parallel,I need it verymuch.
  • 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 ofmany.)

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Related terms

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Translations

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a large amount of

Adjective

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much (notcomparable)

  1. (obsolete)Large,great.[12th–16th c.]
    • 1485,Sir Thomas Malory, “iiij”, inLe Morte Darthur, book XX:
      Thenne launcelot vnbarred the dore / and with his lyfte hand he held it open a lytel / so that but one man myghte come in attones / and soo there came strydyng a good knyghte amoche man and large / and his name was Colgreuaunce / of Gore / and he with a swerd strake at syr launcelot myȝtely and he put asyde the stroke
      (pleaseadd an English translation of this quotation)
  2. (obsolete) Long induration.

Adverb

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much (comparativemore,superlativemost)

  1. To a great extent.
    I don't like melonmuch, and I don’tmuch care for milk chocolate either: I find them bothmuch too sweet.
    Howevermuch I eat, I never get fat.
    He left her,much to the satisfaction of her other suitor.
    That boyfriend of yours ismuch {like - the same as} the others.
    My English wasmuch the worst, and I'm certainly notmuch good at math either, of that I'mverymuch aware.
    Both candidates, who aremuch of an age, saymuch the same thing, but the youngest showsmuch the commoner behavior of the two.
    • 1909,Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, inThe Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.:Dodd, Mead and Company, published1919,→OCLC,page 9:
      They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselvesmuch in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.
    • 2008, “Right Now (Na Na Na)” (track 1), inFreedom, performed byAkon:
      I can’t lie (I miss youmuch). Watching every day that goes by (I miss youmuch).
    • 2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3-0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, inBBC Sport:
      Tangling with Ziv, Cameron caught him with a flailing elbow, causing the Israeli defender to go down a little easily. However, the referee was in no doubt,much to the displeasure of the home fans.
    • 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, inThe Economist, volume407, number8839, page52:
      From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look likemuch. Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.
    1. (with a comparative adjective)for emphasis or to indicate a great difference
      He ismuch fatter than I remember him.
      Honestly, I can't standmuch more of this.
  2. Often; frequently.
    Does he get drunkmuch?
  3. (in combinations such as 'as much', 'this much')Used to indicate or compare extent.
    I don't like Wagner asmuch as I like Mozart.
  4. (slang)Combining with an adjective or (occasionally) a noun, used in arhetorical question tomock someone for having the specified quality.
    Jamie's always preaching about how we need to save a planet when she drives literally everywhere she goes. Like, hypocriticalmuch?
    • 2005 December 28, Seth Stevenson, “What’s With That Overstock.com Ad?”, inSlate‎[1], New York, N.Y.:The Slate Group,→ISSN,→OCLC, archived fromthe original on20 January 2024:
      The moment you've been waiting for—the lowdown on the Overstock hottie. I talked to her by phone last week. (Jealousmuch, gentlemen? Ad Report Card talks to all the fine ladies.)
    • 2023 May 12, Lia Mappoura, “I tried Glossier's brand new G Suit lip crèmes so you don't have to – you're welcome”, inCosmopolitan‎[2]:
      Well, on the grounds of this, what if I told you the brand's latest launch goes against the latter and instead, is the first product in an opaque lip crème line? Screaming, crying, throwing up,much?
  5. (obsolete)Almost.

Usage notes

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  • As a verb modifier in positive contexts,much must in standard English be modified by another adverb:I like fishvery much,I like fishso much, etc. but not *I like fishmuch.
  • As a comparative intensifier,many can be used instead ofmuch if it modifies the comparative form ofmany, i.e.more with acountable noun:many more people butmuch more snow.
  • May be used in humorous questions to draw attention to somebody's undesirable behaviour: "desperate much?", "cherry-picking much?", etc.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Translations

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to a great extent

Pronoun

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much

  1. A large amount or great extent.
    From those to whommuch has been givenmuch is expected.
    We lay awake formuch of the night.

Derived terms

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References

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Anagrams

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Chuj

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Noun

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much

  1. bird

Chuukese

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Verb

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much

  1. toend

Czech

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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much

  1. genitiveplural ofmoucha

Old Spanish

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Pronunciation

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Adverb

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much

  1. apocopic form ofmucho;very,greatly
    • c.1200, Almerich,Fazienda de Ultramar,f. 36r:
      Job fuemuch rich õe e ouo .v. fijos. ⁊ .iij. fijas. ⁊ ouo .mil. ouejas. ⁊ .iij. mil. camellos. ⁊ .d. iugos de bueẏes. ⁊ .v. mil aſnas.
      Job was avery rich man. And he had five sons and three daughters. And he owned a thousand sheep and three thousand camels and five hundred yoke of oxen and five thousand donkeys.

Polish

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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much f

  1. genitiveplural ofmucha

Swedish

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Noun

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much c

  1. archaic spelling ofmusch

Yola

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Adjective

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much

  1. alternative form ofmucha
    • 1867, “SONG”, inSONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page108:
      Hea had nomuch wut,
      He had notmuch wit,

References

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  • 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, published1867,page108

Yucatec Maya

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Noun

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much

  1. obsolete spelling ofmuuch
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