plenty

1 of 4

pronoun

plen·ty ˈplen-tē

singular or plural in construction

Synonyms of plenty next

: 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.

plenty

2 of 4

noun

: 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

plenty

3 of 4

adjective

: plentiful in amount, number, or supply

if reasons were as plenty as blackberries—

William Shakespeare

: ample

plenty work to be done—

Time

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.

plenty

4 of 4

adverb

: more than sufficiently : to a considerable degree

the nights were plenty cold—

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

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.

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

… academics can cite evidence in plenty … to justify their skepticism.—

Peter Green

Example Sentences

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

Adverb

And its brushless motor makes the vacuum plenty quiet, according to the brand. —

Clara Mcmahon, Peoplemag, 1 June 2023 That's not the latest chip from Qualcomm, but should be plenty powerful for most people. —

Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 1 June 2023 The apron features a top bib pocket that, at 21 inches wide and 14 inches deep, is plenty big enough to hold a trowel or weeding tool. —

Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 May 2023 The two candidates vying to become the first new alderman representing the Southwest Side 14th Ward in more than five decades are new to most Chicagoans, but the political power brokers supporting their candidacies are plenty familiar. —

John Byrne, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2023 The steering is precise enough to avoid spoiling the suspension's fun, and the pedals are plenty easy to modulate. —

Andrew Krok, Car and Driver, 18 May 2023 Pascal also sports a bold green jacket on his horse and a shirt that hangs just low enough to keep him from going full frontal for the audience, although his bare butt will make his fans plenty excited. —

Clayton Davis, Variety, 17 May 2023 Although inland areas are expected to stay warm, the coast will be plenty cool. —

Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 May 2023 Those seemingly mundane skills not only help the Warriors, but also give his teammates plenty to emulate. —

Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2023 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

Pronoun

Middle English plente, borrowed from Anglo-French plenté, adaptation as quantifier of plenté "abundance, plenty entry 2"

Noun

Middle English plente "abundance, fullness," borrowed from Anglo-French plenté, pleinté "abundance, bounty" (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Latin plēnitāt-, plēnitās "fullness to saturation," from plēnus "full" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at full entry 1

Adjective

Middle English plente, adaptation as quantifier of plenté "abundance, plenty entry 2"

Adverb

derivative of plenty entry 1

First Known Use

Pronoun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb