1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
That means having to hire an attorney to force an agency to provide public records could later affect how much that person recoups in attorneys' fees. — Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2026 In 2005 a Utah court froze the assets of FLDS’s United Effort Plan trust, which included much of the group’s community assets, including houses and land in the Short Creek area, valued at about $110 million. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
Adverb
Still, much else that Guatemalans had hoped for has failed to materialize. — Will Freeman, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026 Iamaleava looked much more comfortable and confident in the pocket, despite playing through multiple injuries. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 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
  • Trump biopic The Apprentice was avoided by the major studios and then faced significant challenges before release.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Coroner’s records list Isaiah’s cause of death as a bacterial infection resulting from pneumonia, but other significant factors included blunt force trauma injuries and the impacts of long-term restraint.
    — Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of significant
Adverb
  • Those who arrived in the 1900s had very different cultural, political, and religious backgrounds from the older Texas Jews.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • These salts can withstand very high temperatures before boiling.
    — Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of very
Adverb
  • This requires that software developers understand how to prompt AI with relevant and highly honed questions, validate outputs, understand the limitations of AI models and maintain accountability for the final product.
    — Alberto Lugo, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Programming will be highly curated and editorially led, organizers added, spanning headline conversations, unexpected pairings, global trends and data, cultural insight and case studies from across the international entertainment business.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of highly
Adverb
  • Before the conflict, Qatar exported almost one-fifth of the world’s LNG, all of it through the Strait of Hormuz.
    — Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Advisors spend almost 70% of their time on back-office work, and by 2032 agentic AI could give back 25% to 50% of that time.
    — Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of almost
Adverb
  • Ultimately, Taylor’s journey was a lesson in how simple pleasures are often the most enduring souvenirs—internal keepsakes that linger long after the last bag is unpacked.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Players often downplay symptoms to stay on the field—and many signs of brain trauma, such as headaches, memory problems and fatigue, are easy to hide.
    — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of often
Adverb
  • The 2023 rate was about 58%, the third-lowest of any suburban municipality, meaning the city fell $24 million short of target.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The more likely outcome is that his payments will raise our annual national deficit, which is projected to reach $2 trillion by the end of the year, by about 50 percent--and add to the country's $40 trillion national debt.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of about
Noun
  • The company estimates that converting the existing US fleet could avoid about 20 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually while providing gigawatts of additional generating capacity.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Sep. 2026
  • In 2021, prior to import restrictions imposed on Belarus, the United States imported about 700,000 tons of potassium fertilizer from Belarus, accounting for 5% of total imports, according to federal data.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of ton
Adjective
  • Yet he was accused of failing to do his work as recently as November, detained in a neighboring village over rainfall that disrupted an important ceremony.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Maybe the most important thing Jon Sumrall did Saturday night wasn’t beating Auburn.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of important

Phrases Containing much

Browse Nearby Words

Mrs. Grundys
much
much as
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Much.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/much. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of pundit

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All