much
gb/mˈʌt͡ʃ/ us/mˈʌt͡ʃ/
A1
English
~ 400
Senses
0 senses
determiner
A1
quantity
1
A large amount or degree
Shows that there is a large amount or degree of something.
Usage pattern:
much [uncountable noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'much' with plural countable nouns in positive sentences; 'much' is generally used with uncountable nouns or in negatives and questions.
Synonyms
a lot of (More informal and common in spoken English.)
Antonyms
little (Refers to a small amount instead of a large amount.)
Collocations
much time
|much money
|much effort
|much work
Themes
daily life
|measurement
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She doesn’t have much experience in this field.
- I don’t have much time to talk right now.
- There isn’t much water left in the bottle.
Learner examples
- I don’t have much money.
- She doesn’t eat much rice.
- We don’t have much milk.
adverb
A2
property
2
To a great extent or degree
Shows that something happens or is true to a large degree.
Usage pattern:
[verb] much
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'very' instead of 'much' before comparatives; e.g., 'much better' not 'very better'.
Synonyms
greatly (Slightly more formal than 'much'.)
Antonyms
slightly (Indicates only a small extent or degree.)
Collocations
much better
|much worse
|much appreciated
|much needed
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I feel much better now.
- The situation has improved much since last year.
- Your help is much appreciated.
Learner examples
- I like this book much more.
- She is much taller than me.
- This is much easier than that.
pronoun
B1
quantity
3
A large amount of something unspecified
A lot of something that is not named.
Usage pattern:
Much [verb] ...
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse the pronoun use with the determiner use and repeat the noun unnecessarily.
Synonyms
a lot (More informal and common in speech.)
Antonyms
little (Refers to a small amount instead of a large amount.)
Collocations
not much
|too much
|so much
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Much has changed since we last met.
- There isn’t much you can do now.
- Much depends on the outcome of the meeting.
Learner examples
- Much has happened this year.
- There is not much to see here.
- Much can be learned from books.
Grammar
Expressions
as much as
1/ˈæz mˈʌt͡ʃ ˈæz/
fixed phrase
Equal in amount or degree
The same amount or degree as something else.
Examples
- He earns as much as his brother.
- I love you as much as I love my family.
much less
1/mˈʌt͡ʃ lˈɛs/
fixed phrase
Even smaller amount or likelihood
Used to emphasize that something is even less true or possible than another thing mentioned.
Examples
- I can’t run a mile, much less a marathon.
- He didn’t have time for lunch, much less dinner.
so much for
1/sˈoʊ mˈʌt͡ʃ fɚ/
idiom
Indicates end or uselessness of something
Used to say that something has ended or failed, often with disappointment.
Examples
- So much for our plans to go hiking—it’s raining now.
- So much for his promise to help us.
too much
1/tˈu mˈʌt͡ʃ/
fixed phrase
More than needed or wanted
An amount that is more than is good, needed, or wanted.
Examples
- You put too much sugar in my coffee.
- He talks too much during meetings.