Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
Proto-Germanic *mikilaz
Proto-West Germanic *mikil
Old English miċel
Middle English muchel
Middle English muche
English much
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.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots mickle, mukill, mekil, mikil (“big, large, great, much”), Middle Dutch mēkel (“great, many, much”), Middle High German michel ("great, many, much"; > German michel (“great, big, large”)), Norwegian Bokmål mye (“much”), Norwegian Nynorsk mykje (“much”), Swedish mycket (“much”), Danish meget (“much”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great, many”), Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “large, great”), Modern Greek μεγάλος (megálos, “large, great”).
Note that English much is not related to Spanish mucho, and their resemblance in both form and meaning is purely coincidental, as mucho derives from Latin multus and is not related to the Germanic forms. Instead, related to Spanish maño.
Meanings
(not-comparable, obsolete) Large, great.
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 a moche 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 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “iiij”, in Le Morte Darthur, book XX:
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
Proto-Germanic *mikilaz
Proto-West Germanic *mikil
Old English miċel
Middle English muchel
Middle English muche
English much
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.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots mickle, mukill, mekil, mikil (“big, large, great, much”), Middle Dutch mēkel (“great, many, much”), Middle High German michel ("great, many, much"; > German michel (“great, big, large”)), Norwegian Bokmål mye (“much”), Norwegian Nynorsk mykje (“much”), Swedish mycket (“much”), Danish meget (“much”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great, many”), Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “large, great”), Modern Greek μεγάλος (megálos, “large, great”).
Note that English much is not related to Spanish mucho, and their resemblance in both form and meaning is purely coincidental, as mucho derives from Latin multus and is not related to the Germanic forms. Instead, related to Spanish maño.
Meanings
To a great extent.
I don't like melon much, and I don’t much care for milk chocolate either: I find them both much too sweet.
He left her, much to the satisfaction of her other suitor.
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 themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups. 1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “A Court Ball”, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 9:
However much I eat, I never get fat.
That boyfriend of yours is much like the others.
My English was much the worst, and I'm certainly not much good at math either, of that I'm very much aware.
From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much. 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. 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
Both candidates, who are much of an age, say much the same thing, but the youngest shows much the commoner behavior of the two.
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. 2011 October 20, Michael da Silva, “Stoke 3-0 Macc Tel-Aviv”, in BBC Sport:
I can’t lie (I miss you much). Watching every day that goes by (I miss you much). 2008, “Right Now (Na Na Na)” (track 1), in Freedom, performed by Akon:
(with a comparative adjective) To a great extent. ▸ for emphasis or to indicate a great difference
He is much fatter than I remember him.
a much warmer room for much nicer people
Honestly, I can't stand much more of this.
Often; frequently.
Does he get drunk much?
(in combinations such as 'as much', qualifier:'this much') Used to indicate or compare extent.
I don't like Wagner as much as I like Mozart.
(slang) Combining with an adjective or (occasionally) a noun, used in a rhetorical question to mock someone for having the specified quality.
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? 2023 May 12, Lia Mappoura, “I tried Glossier's brand new G Suit lip crèmes so you don't have to – you're welcome”, in Cosmopolitan:
The moment you've been waiting for—the lowdown on the Overstock hottie. I talked to her by phone last week. (Jealous much, gentlemen? Ad Report Card talks to all the fine ladies.) 2005 December 28, Seth Stevenson, “What’s With That Overstock.com Ad?”, in Slate, New York, N.Y.: The Slate Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Jan 2024:
Jamie's always preaching about how we need to save a planet when she drives literally everywhere she goes. Like, hypocritical much?
(obsolete) Almost.
Forms
Spelling
Features
Labels
Source
most
Degree=Sup
lexicographic
more
Degree=Cmp
lexicographic
Antonyms
almost (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”) · little (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”) · nearly (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”) · few (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”) · less (antonym(s) of “to a great extent”)
Synonyms
very much (to a great extent) · greatly (to a great extent) · plenty (to a great extent) · a great deal (to a great extent) · loads (to a great extent) · highly (to a great extent) · a lot (to a great extent)
Translations (65)
tyz lai (to a great extent) · hu jóval ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · bg много (to a great extent) · hy շատ (to a great extent) · sh пуно (to a great extent) · cmn 多 (to a great extent) · ja 多い (to a great extent) · mt qatigħ (to a great extent) · izh äijä (to a great extent) · lv daudz (to a great extent) · hu nagyon (to a great extent) · vo mödo (to a great extent) · hu sokkal ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · lt gerokai ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · nl veel ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · uk набага́то (to a great extent) · el πολύ (to a great extent) · ru гора́здо (to a great extent) · fro mout (to a great extent) · bpl banyaa (to a great extent) · fro mult (to a great extent) · cmn 許多 /许多 (to a great extent) · ota چوك (to a great extent) · th มาก (to a great extent) · bg доста (to a great extent) · ca molt (to a great extent) · sv mycket (to a great extent) · ko 많은 (to a great extent) · ccc ma'sho (to a great extent) · sa बहु (to a great extent) · nl veel (to a great extent) · roa-gal brav'ment (to a great extent) · ar كَثِيرًا (to a great extent) · ga go mór ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · es mucho (to a great extent) · uk бага́то (to a great extent) · de viel (to a great extent) · pro molt (to a great extent) · sh mnȍgo (to a great extent) · ro mult (to a great extent) · it molto (to a great extent) · la multum (to a great extent) · de viel ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · fi paljon ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · sv mycket ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · is miklu ((with a comparative adjective) for emphasis) · zza qatran (to a great extent) · pt muito (to a great extent) · cs mnohem (to a great extent) · tum comene (to a great extent) · ru о́чень (to a great extent) · sh puno (to a great extent) · sq shumë (to a great extent) · ru намно́го (to a great extent) · fr beaucoup (to a great extent) · mk многу (to a great extent) · ota كلیاً (to a great extent) · ja 沢山の (to a great extent) · fro molt (to a great extent) · sh мно̏го (to a great extent) · fi paljon (to a great extent) · pl bardzo (to a great extent) · bg бая (to a great extent) · cs moc (to a great extent) · izh paljo (to a great extent)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
Proto-Germanic *mikilaz
Proto-West Germanic *mikil
Old English miċel
Middle English muchel
Middle English muche
English much
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.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots mickle, mukill, mekil, mikil (“big, large, great, much”), Middle Dutch mēkel (“great, many, much”), Middle High German michel ("great, many, much"; > German michel (“great, big, large”)), Norwegian Bokmål mye (“much”), Norwegian Nynorsk mykje (“much”), Swedish mycket (“much”), Danish meget (“much”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great, many”), Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “large, great”), Modern Greek μεγάλος (megálos, “large, great”).
Note that English much is not related to Spanish mucho, and their resemblance in both form and meaning is purely coincidental, as mucho derives from Latin multus and is not related to the Germanic forms. Instead, related to Spanish maño.
Meanings
A large amount of.
Do you think I have much chance of catching the train on time?
Did you do much running last summer?
After much discussion, we decided to set about the task with much enthusiasm.
Unless matters take a nastier turn, neither side has much incentive to compromise. 2011 February 24, “Wisconsin and wider”, in The Economist:
As it was, he did nothing with much zeal, but sport; and his time was otherwise trifled away, without benefit from books or anything else. 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume (please specify |volume=III or IV), London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC:
(in combinations such as 'as much', qualifier:'this much') Used to indicate, demonstrate or compare the quantity of something.
Take as much time as you like.
Add this much water and no more.
(archaic, nonstandard) A great number of; many (people).
There wasn't much people about that day. 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula, Westminster [London]: Archibald Constable and Company, […], →OCLC:
When Jesus was come downe from the mountayne, moch people folowed him. 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew:
ye shall not nede to seke hym soo ferre sayd the Kynge / for as I here saye sir Launcelot will abyde me and yow in the Ioyous gard / and moche peple draweth vnto hym as I here saye 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter X, in Le Morte Darthur, book XX:
(Caribbean, UK, qualifier:African-American, regional) many ( + plural countable noun).
They got so much things to say right now, they got so much things to say. 1977, Bob Marley, “So Much Things to Say”:
bn বহু (a large amount of) · fa بسیار (a large amount of) · et palju (a large amount of) · ta நிறைய (a large amount of) · fr beaucoup (a large amount of) · tr çok (a large amount of) · he הַרבֵּה (a large amount of) · ru мно́го (a large amount of) · tg бисёр (a large amount of) · kk көп (a large amount of) · bn অনেক (a large amount of) · pt um monte de (a large amount of) · nb mye (a large amount of) · hu sok (a large amount of) · acw كثير (a large amount of) · cic i̠lawa (a large amount of) · pl wiele (a large amount of) · uz koʻp (a large amount of) · nl veel (a large amount of) · bg доста (a large amount of) · lt daug (a large amount of) · my များ (a large amount of) · be шмат (a large amount of) · lo ຫຼາຍ (a large amount of) · ps ډېر (a large amount of) · wyi woot-too-korreen (a large amount of) · cic lawa (a large amount of) · fi paljon (a large amount of) · eo multa (a large amount of) · ca molt (a large amount of) · ar كَثِير (a large amount of) · cmn 很多 (a large amount of) · nn mykje (a large amount of) · ga mórán (a large amount of) · sk mnoho (a large amount of) · km ច្រើន (a large amount of) · xto māk (a large amount of) · th หลาย (a large amount of) · ltg daudzi (a large amount of) · ro mult (a large amount of) · be бага́та (a large amount of) · txb māka (a large amount of) · pt muito (a large amount of) · gl moito (a large amount of) · de viel (a large amount of) · ms banyak (a large amount of) · mn олон (a large amount of) · bg бая (a large amount of) · io multa (a large amount of) · sh мно̏гӣ (a large amount of) · sa अधिकम् (a large amount of) · izh äijä (a large amount of) · ga a lán (a large amount of) · yi אַ סך (a large amount of) · ota چوك (a large amount of) · az çox (a large amount of) · ota كلی مقدار (a large amount of) · gv monney (a large amount of) · ig oke (a large amount of) · pl dużo (a large amount of) · hy շատ (a large amount of) · th มาก (a large amount of) · svs daivata (a large amount of) · sq plot (a large amount of) · is mikill (a large amount of) · nah açan (a large amount of) · myp xapagí (a large amount of) · pdt väl (a large amount of) · it molto (a large amount of) · ja 多くの (a large amount of) · hi अधिक (a large amount of) · sa बहु (a large amount of) · hi बहुत (a large amount of) · yi פֿיל (a large amount of) · izh ussia (a large amount of) · uk бага́то (a large amount of) · sl veliko (a large amount of) · jje 하영 (a large amount of) · ky көп (a large amount of) · jv okeh (a large amount of) · tg хеле (a large amount of) · sk veľa (a large amount of) · got 𐌼𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌲𐍃 (a large amount of) · be мно́га (a large amount of) · sv mycken (a large amount of) · sco mickle (a large amount of) · za lai (a large amount of) · sh пуно (a large amount of) · sv mycket (a large amount of) · sh mnȍgī (a large amount of) · la multus (a large amount of) · uk чима́ло (a large amount of) · zza bol (diq) (a large amount of) · zza zaf (diq) (a large amount of) · rup multu (a large amount of) · tk köp (a large amount of) · cmn 多 (a large amount of) · ur بہت (a large amount of) · sco muckle (a large amount of) · bg мно́го (a large amount of) · izh moni (a large amount of) · sh puno (a large amount of) · ko 많이 (a large amount of) · za haujlai (a large amount of) · ka ბევრი (a large amount of) · si බොහෝ (a large amount of) · ja 沢山 (a large amount of) · da meget (a large amount of) · sq shumë (a large amount of) · vi nhiều (a large amount of) · sl mnogo (a large amount of) · grc πολύς (a large amount of) · mk мно́гу (a large amount of) · izh paljo (a large amount of) · sh мно̏го (a large amount of) · lv daudz (a large amount of) · rm bler (a large amount of) · arz كتير (a large amount of) · nap nu sacco (a large amount of) · es mucho (a large amount of) · cmn 好多 (a large amount of) · hit mekki (a large amount of) · ru нема́ло (a large amount of) · cs mnoho (a large amount of) · sh mnȍgo (a large amount of) · izh isost (a large amount of) · ja 多い (a large amount of) · id banyak (a large amount of)
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s
Proto-Indo-European *-lósder.
Proto-Germanic *-ilaz
Proto-Germanic *mikilaz
Proto-West Germanic *mikil
Old English miċel
Middle English muchel
Middle English muche
English much
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.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots mickle, mukill, mekil, mikil (“big, large, great, much”), Middle Dutch mēkel (“great, many, much”), Middle High German michel ("great, many, much"; > German michel (“great, big, large”)), Norwegian Bokmål mye (“much”), Norwegian Nynorsk mykje (“much”), Swedish mycket (“much”), Danish meget (“much”), Gothic 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐍃 (mikils, “great, many”), Ancient Greek μέγας (mégas, “large, great”), Modern Greek μεγάλος (megálos, “large, great”).
Note that English much is not related to Spanish mucho, and their resemblance in both form and meaning is purely coincidental, as mucho derives from Latin multus and is not related to the Germanic forms. Instead, related to Spanish maño.
Meanings
A large amount or great extent; a lot.
My wife is not much of a conversationalist.
From those to whom much has been given much is expected.