plenty

1 of 4

pronoun

plen·​ty ˈplen-tē 

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.

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

1

: plentiful in amount, number, or supply

If reasons were as plenty as blackberries …

—William Shakespeare

2

: 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

Synonyms of plenty

Noun

• abundance
• wealth

Adjective

• ample
• plentiful
• generous

Examples 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

Adverb

Cigarette jeans or winter tights and A-line skirts are the most obvious pairing options this time of year, but there are plenty more outfit ideas to consider. —Shelby Ying Hyde, Glamour, 11 Nov. 2025

Their flavor would shine in a simple blueberry pie, but a 5-pound box will leave the lucky recipient with plenty more berries to turn into muffins, scones, jam, coffee cake, and whatever else their heart desires. —Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Nov. 2025

Epstein said Aercap shares have plenty more room to run and raised his price target on the stock to $150 per share from $130. —Michael Bloom, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

And while Dart’s future looks to be plenty secure, the same can’t be said for Giants head coach Brian Daboll or general manager Joe Schoen. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025

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

1775, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing plenty

• enough/plenty to go around
• enough/plenty to go round
• horn of plenty
• many/plenty more fish in the sea

Rhymes for plenty

• mentee
• senti
• twenty
• aplenty

Kids 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