much 1 of 3

adjective

ˈməch How to pronounce much (audio)
Definition of muchnext
as in significant
having great meaning or lasting effect actually, nothing much changed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

much

2 of 3

adverb

1
as in very
to a great degree much gratified by the favorable response to her novel

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in highly
to a large extent or degree the new decorations made me much happier

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in almost
very close to but not completely today the old neighborhood looks much as it did years ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in often
many times I don't do that much anymore

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in about
close to but not exactly he behaves much the same as I did at that age

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

much

3 of 3

noun

as in plenty
a considerable amount much of what people think they know about words is inaccurate or downright false

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of much
Adjective
Francesca Hong, a 37-year-old democratic socialist, state lawmaker and chef, has been leading in the polls throughout much of the Democratic primary for governor of Wisconsin. — Clay Masters, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026 The effort comes with a huge headline figure but few details on the timing and structure of the financing, or how much the plan goes beyond the string of AI deals that are already driving a large chunk of Wall Street’s biggest transactions. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 11 Aug. 2026
Adverb
The storm caught the state off guard, having made a sudden shift to the east and smack into the core of the state after most forecasters had projected it to make landfall much farther to the north. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026 These fears, while unfounded, were indicative of something much worse—and marked a new, ominous chapter in the whale’s evolving symbolic import. — Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 13 Aug. 2026
Noun
With Aoki cruising, the offense didn’t have to do much, but the Trojans built momentum as the game progressed. — Shotgun Spratling, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2025 Daniels couldn’t do much, but tried to provide a comforting voice. — Andy Wacker, Outside Online, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for much
Recent Examples of Synonyms for much
  1. significant
  2. very
  3. highly
  4. almost
  5. often
  6. about
  7. ton
  8. important
Adjective
  • Low-income Americans who can’t afford to buy into the housing market and who lack a significant presence in the stock market are starting on their back foot.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Apple needs significant upload capacty include the volume of shipping required to bring the iPhones to market.
    — Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of significant
Adverb
  • Anna’s sheer lace dress with a huge keyhole in the front and an open back is fine but also like a million other dresses; the same goes for Jude’s nicely constructed, but very familiar, black velvet dress with a corset.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Quarterback Tommy DeVito looked to him on a go route on the very next play, but Williams didn’t cut back inside for the ball, which appeared to frustrate Vrabel on the sideline.
    — Chad Graff, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • These guys might do much of the unglamorous work that goes unnoticed, breaking up play, playing short passes and sliding across into position to snuff out counter-attacks, but their role is highly valued in the transfer market.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026
  • People who have it are highly capable learners, but need to be taught in a direct, explicit way.
    — Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of highly
Adverb
  • The six highest-earning clubs in England have remained the same for almost two decades and continue to enjoy far greater matchday and commercial revenues than the rest.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Count Michael King among those who almost expected a step back, akin to what Casey Mize endured after waiting 10 days before turning in the worst start of his career in his Padres debut in Arizona.
    — Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • Constant said failure to appear charges, often due to the bus being late, a lack of childcare or permission to take the day off from work, are driving Connecticut’s pretrial population.
    — Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The danger comes as drivers hunt for limited street parking, often making their own way, and beachgoers cross four lanes of high-speed traffic.
    — Laurie Perez, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of often
Adverb
  • The trial begins with jury selection Monday and is expected to last about a month.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • How to Clean a Candle Jar Once jarred candles have about 1/2 inch of wax left, stop burning the candles to ensure the jars don’t break.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of about
Noun
  • With a length of almost 1,100 feet and displacing more than 100,000 tons, Nimitz-class carriers are among the world’s largest warships, eclipsed only by the US Navy’s Ford-class carriers, of which only one is in service to date.
    — Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Because season one, the penultimate episode also had tons of action and everything came to a head at Jordan’s mansion.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of ton
Adjective
  • That’s important for Cyprus because under an existing agreement, Cypriot energy consumers would have to put up as much as 63% of the cable’s construction cost, meaning a significant jump in electricity prices.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026
  • As artificial intelligence revolutionizes how tasks are completed, many people are pleading their cases for why their jobs are important.
    — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of important

Phrases Containing much

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Mrs. Grundys
much
much as
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Cite this Entry

“Much.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/much. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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