an awful lot
idiom
informal
1
: a large amount
They lost an awful lot of money.
She does an awful lot of talking.
2
: very much
I like him an awful lot.
Examples of an awful lot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tucked in among all of the many things that Pep Guardiola has got off his chest about referees over the past couple of weeks was a very small detail that might explain an awful lot.
—
Sam Lee, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The results will show young women who look an awful lot like circus clowns, with faces hidden under layers of masks, gels, serums, and even face tape.
—Jana Pollack, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026
Humanity has changed an awful lot in the past 58 Years.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
The device, as experts quickly pointed out at the time, looked an awful lot like a mid-tier Android phone from a Chinese smartphone company, drawing plenty of skepticism.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for an awful lot
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sam Lee, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2026
The results will show young women who look an awful lot like circus clowns, with faces hidden under layers of masks, gels, serums, and even face tape.
—Jana Pollack, Parents, 31 Jan. 2026
Humanity has changed an awful lot in the past 58 Years.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 Jan. 2026
The device, as experts quickly pointed out at the time, looked an awful lot like a mid-tier Android phone from a Chinese smartphone company, drawing plenty of skepticism.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for an awful lot
Cite this Entry
“An awful lot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/an%20awful%20lot. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
