a lot

adverb

1
: to a considerable degree or extent : much, lots
This is a lot nicer.
I liked it a lot. [=very much]
2
: often, frequently
Do you travel a lot?

Examples of a lot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Given his leadership role on intelligence oversight matters, Himes has spent a lot of time listening to the concerns of his fellow lawmakers – and those of the intelligence community. USA TODAY, 4 Apr. 2024 Those aspirations, however, involve a lot of money, effort, and planning to execute. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024 There is now a lot more completion from many other attractions in San Diego County that were not around 10 years ago. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2024 But the audition required him to learn a lot of technical speak about the character, Mr. Vup, an alien with an advanced sense of smell. Jenelle Riley, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024 There’s a lot happening in Dupont Circle this weekend, including Saturday’s Kimonos and Cocktails bar crawl and Sunday’s tea party in the circle. Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024 But Take Note While its price tag is a splurge, this is a high-quality blanket that would make a thoughtful baby shower gift that the expecting parents can get a lot of use from. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 4 Apr. 2024 But doing so will still leave many thousands of Hamas fighters intact, and the aftermath could look a lot like what is already happening in northern Gaza, just worse. Mairav Zonszein, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024 The landlady has a cat, too, that gets a lot of screen time, and is quite good. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a lot.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of a lot was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near a lot

Cite this Entry

“A lot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20lot. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on a lot

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