whole
gb/hˈoʊl/ us/hˈoʊl/
A2
English
~ 1000
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A2
property
1
Complete; entire; undivided
Having everything; not missing any part.
Usage pattern:
the whole [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'whole' with 'all'. 'Whole' is used with singular countable nouns (the whole book), while 'all' can be used with plural or uncountable nouns (all books, all water).
Synonyms
entire (Almost identical in meaning, slightly more formal in some contexts.)
Antonyms
partial (Means only part of something, not complete.)
Collocations
whole story
|whole day
|whole world
|whole family
|whole thing
Themes
daily life
|general
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We spent the whole day at the beach.
- She read the whole book in one night.
- The whole team worked together to finish the project.
- I can't believe you ate the whole pizza.
- He told me the whole truth.
Learner examples
- I saw the whole movie.
- She ate the whole cake.
- We walked for the whole hour.
- He told the whole story.
- They stayed for the whole week.
Noun
B1
entity
2
A complete thing or unit
Something that is complete, made up of all its parts.
Usage pattern:
the [whole] of [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'whole' (noun) with 'whole' (adjective) and use it incorrectly in sentence position.
Synonyms
totality (More formal and abstract than 'whole'.)
Antonyms
part (A piece or portion of something, not the entirety.)
Collocations
the whole of society
|as a whole
|the whole of life
Themes
general
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- We must consider the project as a whole.
- The country as a whole supports the new law.
- This report gives a view of the company as a whole.
Learner examples
- We see the world as a whole.
- The class as a whole did well.
- Think about the problem as a whole.
adjective
B2
property
3
Healthy and unharmed
Not hurt or broken; in good health or condition.
Synonyms
unharmed (Focuses on being free from damage or injury.)
Antonyms
injured (Means harmed physically.)
Collocations
safe and whole
|come out whole
Themes
health
|body
Examples
- After the accident, everyone came out safe and whole.
- She returned from the trip tired but whole.
- The package arrived whole, without any damage.
Learner examples
- He is safe and whole.
- The phone is still whole.
- She is whole after the fall.
Grammar
Dictionary form
whole
IPA
GB/hˈoʊl/
US/hˈoʊl/
Syllables & stress
whole (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (whole)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: whole
Noun
- Base: whole
- Plural: wholes
Word family
Expressions
as a whole
1/ˈæz ə hˈoʊl/
fixed phrase
Considering everything together
When you think about all parts together as one thing.
Examples
- As a whole, the team performed well this season.
- Society as a whole benefits from education.
the whole nine yards
1/ðə hˈoʊl nˈaɪn jˈɑɹdz/
idiom
informal
Everything possible or available
Everything that is possible to have or do in a situation.
Examples
- They went for the whole nine yards with the wedding decorations.
- When he cooks, he uses fresh herbs, special sauces—the whole nine yards.
whole lot
1/hˈoʊl lˈɑt/
fixed phrase
informal
A large quantity of something
A very big number or amount of something.
Examples
- We had a whole lot of fun at the party.
- There's a whole lot of work to do before Friday.
go the whole hog
1/ɡˈoʊ ðə hˈoʊl hˈɑɡ/
idiom
informal
Do something fully without restraint
To do something completely without stopping halfway.
Examples
- If we're redecorating, let's go the whole hog and buy new furniture too.
- If we’re redecorating, let’s go the whole hog and redo the kitchen too.
- They decided to go the whole hog with their holiday plans.
- They decided to go the whole hog and move abroad instead of just taking a long vacation.