plenty

¹plen·ty

noun \ˈplen-tē\

Definition of PLENTY

1

a : a full or more than adequate amount or supply <had plenty of time to finish the job>

b : a large number or amount <in plenty of trouble>

2

: the quality or state of being copious : plentifulness

Examples of PLENTY

1. They thought of America as the land of plenty.
2. <you'll have plenty of time to make your connecting flight>

Origin of PLENTY

Middle English plente, from Anglo-French plenté, from Late Latin plenitat-, plenitas, from Latin, fullness, from plenus full — more at full

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to PLENTY

Synonyms

abundance, cornucopia, feast, plenitude, plentitude, plethora, superabundance, wealth, embarrassment of riches

Antonyms

deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, undersupply

Related Words

adequacy, competence, competency, sufficiency; ampleness, amplitude, liberality; excess, overdose, overflow, overkill, oversupply, redundancy, superfluity, superfluousness, surfeit, surplus; copiousness, fecundity, fertility, fruitfulness, opulence, richness; lavishness, luxuriance

Near Antonyms

paucity, poverty, scarcity; barrenness, infertility, sterility

Rhymes with PLENTY

sente, tenty, twenty

²plenty

adjective

Definition of PLENTY

1

: plentiful in amount, number, or supply <if reasons were as plenty as blackberries — Shakespeare>

2

: ample <plenty work to be done — Time>

Usage Discussion of PLENTY

Many commentators object to use of sense 2 in writing; it appears to be limited chiefly to spoken English. Sense 1 is literary but is no longer in common use.

Examples of PLENTY

1. <we've picked plenty blueberries, so there'll be some left over after we make the pie>

First Known Use of PLENTY

14th century

Related to PLENTY

Synonyms

abundant, ample, aplenty, bounteous, bountiful, comfortable, cornucopian, galore, generous, liberal, plenteous, plentiful

Antonyms

bare, minimal, scant, spare

Related Words

extra, supernumerary, surplus; abounding, blooming, overflowing, plump, replete, rich, rife, teeming, wealthy; adequate, enough, sufficient; fat, fecund, fertile, fruitful, luxuriant, prodigal, prolific; copious, fulsome, lavish, profuse

Near Antonyms

deficient, inadequate, insufficient, lacking, wanting; meager (or meagre), niggardly, stingy; skimpy; least, minimum; light, slight, small; barren, infertile, sterile, unfruitful, unproductive

Rhymes with PLENTY

twenty

³plenty

adverb

Definition of PLENTY

: more than sufficiently : to a considerable degree <the nights were plenty cold — F. B. Gipson>

Usage Discussion of PLENTY

Many handbooks advise avoiding the adverb plenty in writing; “use very, quite, or a more precise word,” they advise. Actually plenty is often a more precise word than its recommended replacements; very, fully, or quite will not work as well in these typical quotations <it's already plenty hot for us in the kitchen without some dolt opening the oven — C. H. Bridges> <may not be rising quite as rapidly as other health costs, but it is going up plenty fast — Changing Times>. It is not used in more formal writing.

Examples of PLENTY

1. There's plenty more where that came from.
2. The car is plenty large enough to fit six people.

First Known Use of PLENTY

1842