singular or plural in construction
: an adequate or more than adequate number or amount of something : a number or amount of something that is enough for a particular purpose
had plenty of time to finish the job
plenty of room
I don't need more. I have plenty.
There's plenty to do/see here.
: an abundance especially of material things that permit a satisfactory life : a condition or time of abundance
a feeling of plenty
a land of plenty
a season of plenty
Using Plenty as an Adjective: Usage Guide
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.
: more than sufficiently : to a considerable degree
the nights were plenty cold—
F. B. Gipson
F. B. Gipson
Using Plenty as an Adverb: Usage Guide
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
C. H. Bridges
may not be rising quite as rapidly as other health costs, but it is going up plenty fast
—Changing Times
Changing Times
It is not used in more formal writing.
Phrases
in plenty
: present or existing in large amounts : in abundance
There were eggs in plenty not far off, in the hen house.—Robert C. O'Brien
Robert C. O'Brien… academics can cite evidence in plenty … to justify their skepticism.—Peter Green
Peter GreenExamples of plenty in a Sentence
Noun
They thought of America as the land of plenty.
you'll have plenty of time to make your connecting flight
Adjective
we've picked plenty blueberries, so there'll be some left over after we make the pie
Adverb
There's plenty more where that came from.
The car is plenty large enough to fit six people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Surely, there are plenty more twists headed our way.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
In the grand scheme of whiskey, those proofs are plenty robust, though noticeably lower than some comparable releases from other brands.
—David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
The company says this will be plenty light, and fun to ride for folks who aren't only about hardcore off-roading.
—New Atlas, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plenty
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Adverb
The Champions League has seen plenty more of these scenarios since.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Surely, there are plenty more twists headed our way.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2025
In the grand scheme of whiskey, those proofs are plenty robust, though noticeably lower than some comparable releases from other brands.
—David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
The company says this will be plenty light, and fun to ride for folks who aren't only about hardcore off-roading.
—New Atlas, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for plenty
Cite this Entry
“Plenty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plenty. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
plenty
1 of 2 noun
plen·ty
ˈplent-ē 
1
a
: a full supply
had plenty of time to finish
b
: a large number or amount
is in plenty of trouble
2
: the state of being plentiful
times of plenty
plenty
2 of 2 adverb
: quite sense 2
the game was plenty exciting
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