much Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a great amount or extent
    • they did much for humanity
  2. adjective (quantifier used with mass nouns) great in quantity or degree or extent
    • not much rain
    • much affection
    • much grain is in storage
  3. adverb to a great degree or extent
    • she's much better now
  4. adverb very
    • he was much annoyed
  5. adverb to a very great degree or extent
    very much; a lot; lots; a good deal; a great deal.
    • I feel a lot better
    • we enjoyed ourselves very much
    • she was very much interested
    • this would help a great deal
  6. adverb (degree adverb used before a noun phrase) for all practical purposes but not completely
    practically.
    • much the same thing happened every time
    • practically everything in Hinduism is the manifestation of a god
  7. adverb frequently or in great quantities
    a great deal; often.
    • I don't drink much
    • I don't travel much

WordNet

Much adjective
Etymology
OE. moche, muche, miche, prob. the same as mochel, muchel, michel, mikel, fr. AS. micel, mycel; cf. Gr. , fem. , great, and Icel. mjök, adv., much. *103. See Mickle.
Wordforms
comparative & superlative wanting, but supplied by More and Most from another root
Definitions
  1. Great in quantity; long in duration; as, much rain has fallen; much time.
    Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in. Deut. xxviii. 38.
  2. Many in number. Archaic
    Edom came out against him with much people. Num. xx. 20.
  3. High in rank or position. Obs. Chaucer.
Much noun
Definitions
  1. A great quantity; a great deal; also, an indefinite quantity; as, you have as much as I.
    He that gathered much had nothing over. Ex. xvi. 18.
    ✍ Muchin this sense can be regarded as an adjective qualifying a word unexpressed, and may, therefore, be modified by as, so, too, very.
  2. A thing uncommon, wonderful, or noticeable; something considerable.
    And [he] thought not much to clothe his enemies. Milton.
Much adverb
Etymology
Cf. Icel. mjök. See Much, a.
Definitions
  1. To a great degree or extent; greatly; abundantly; far; nearly. "Much suffering heroes." Pope.
    Thou art much mightier than we. Gen. xxvi. 16.
    Excellent speech becometh not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince. Prov. xvii. 7.
    Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong Life much. Milton.
    All left the world much as they found it. Sir W. Temple.

Webster 1913