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
David O'Brien, New York Times, 25 May 2025
The sauce was still plenty rich and creamy without it.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2025
And he’s been plenty upfront about the need to slash the budget, which would significantly impact the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), the nonprofit that oversees the Paramount, Copley and Stolp Island theaters, as well as RiverEdge Park.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
With pockets and an elastic waistband, these pants are also plenty functional to take on vacation.
—Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for plenty
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adverb
Olson and Marcell Ozuna had been plenty productive in the Nos. 3-4 spots in the batting order during the past week, but few others had done much at all, Snitker noted.
—David O'Brien, New York Times, 25 May 2025
The sauce was still plenty rich and creamy without it.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 May 2025
And he’s been plenty upfront about the need to slash the budget, which would significantly impact the Aurora Civic Center Authority (ACCA), the nonprofit that oversees the Paramount, Copley and Stolp Island theaters, as well as RiverEdge Park.
—Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 18 May 2025
With pockets and an elastic waistband, these pants are also plenty functional to take on vacation.
—Isis Briones, Travel + Leisure, 17 May 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 29 May. 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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