Much

• POS: Adjective, Definite Article, Adverb

CIDE DICTIONARY

Much, a. [OE. moche, muche, miche, prob. the same as mochel, muchel, michel, mikel, fr. AS. micel, mycel; cf. Gr. me`gas, fem. mega`lh, great, and Icel. mjök, adv., much. √103. See Mickle.].

•  Great in quantity; long in duration; as, much rain has fallen; much time.  [1913 Webster]

  "Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in."  [1913 Webster]
•  Many in number.  [1913 Webster]

  "Edom came out against him with much people."  [1913 Webster]
•  High in rank or position.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

Much, n. 

•  A great quantity; a great deal; also, an indefinite quantity; as, you have as much as I.  [1913 Webster]

  " Muchin this sense can be regarded as an adjective qualifying a word unexpressed, and may, therefore, be modified by as, so, too, very."  [1913 Webster]

  "He that gathered much had nothing over."  [1913 Webster]
•  A thing uncommon, wonderful, or noticeable; something considerable.  [1913 Webster]

  "And [he] thought not much to clothe his enemies."  [1913 Webster]

To make much of, to treat as something of especial value or worth.

Much, adv. [Cf. Icel. mjök. See Much, a.].

 To a great degree or extent; greatly; abundantly; far; nearly.  Pope.  [1913 Webster]
"Thou art much mightier than we."  [1913 Webster]
"Excellent speech becometh not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince."  [1913 Webster]
"Henceforth I fly not death, nor would prolong
Life much."  [1913 Webster]
"All left the world much as they found it."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Much, adj., n., & adv.
--adj.
1 existing or occurring in a great quantity (much trouble; not much rain; too much noise).
2 (prec. by as, how, that, etc.) with relative rather than distinctive sense (I don't know how much money you want).
--n.
1 a great quantity (much of that is true).
2 (prec. by as, how, that, etc.) with relative rather than distinctive sense (we do not need that much).
3 (usu. in neg.) a noteworthy or outstanding example (not much to look at; not much of a party).
--adv.
1 a in a great degree (much to my surprise; is much the same). b (qualifying a verb or past participle) greatly (they much regret the mistake; I was much annoyed).

Idiom

as much the extent or quantity just specified; the idea just mentioned (I thought as much; as much as that?). a bit much colloq. somewhat excessive or immoderate. make much of see MAKE. much as even though (cannot come, much as I would like to). much less see LESS. much obliged see OBLIGE. not much colloq.
1 iron. very much.
2 certainly not. not much in it see IN. too much colloq. an intolerable situation etc. (that really is too much).
too much for
1 more than a match for.
2 beyond what is endurable by.

Usage

Much implies a strong verbal element in the participle, whereas very implies a strong adjectival element: compare the second example above with I was very annoyed. c qualifying a comparative or superlative adjective (much better; much the most likely).
2 for a large part of one's time (is much away from home).

Derivative

muchly adv. joc.

Etymology

ME f. muchel MICKLE: for loss of el cf. BAD, WENCH

THESAURUS

Much

a deal, a great deal, a lot, abounding, abundance, abundant, abundantly, acres, affluence, affluent, again and again, all-sufficing, ample, ample sufficiency, ampleness, amplitude, aplenty, as all creation, as all get-out, avalanche, bags, barrel, barrels, bay, beaucoup, bonanza, bottomless, bounteous, bountiful, bountifulness, bountiousness, bumper crop, bushel, cater to, cocker, coddle, considerable, considerably, copious, copiousness, cosset, countless, countlessness, diffuse, effuse, eminently, epidemic, ever so, ever so much, exceedingly, exceptionally, excess, exhaustless, extravagance, extravagant, extremely, exuberance, exuberant, fat, fertile, fertility, flood, flow, flush, foison, frequently, full, full measure, fullness, galore, generosity, generous, generousness, great abundance, great deal, great plenty, greatly, gush, heap, highly, hugely, humor, in great measure, in plenty, in quantity, indulge, inexhaustible, landslide, largely, lashings, lavish, lavishness, liberal, liberality, liberalness, load, lot, lots, lump, luxuriance, luxuriant, many, mass, maximal, maximum, mess, mollycoddle, more than enough, mountain, muchly, multiplicity, multitude, multitudinous, myriad, myriads, never so, no end, no end of, not a little, notably, numerous, numerousness, ocean, oceans, oft, oftentimes, ofttimes, opulence, opulency, opulent, outpouring, over and over, overage, overflow, overflowing, oversupply, pack, pamper, peck, pile, plenitude, plenitudinous, plenteous, plenteousness, plentiful, plentifulness, plenty, plethora, power, pretty much, prevailing, prevalence, prevalent, prodigal, prodigality, productive, productiveness, profuse, profuseness, profusion, profusive, quantities, quantity, rampant, repeatedly, replete, repleteness, repletion, rich, rich harvest, rich vein, richness, rife, riot, riotous, riotousness, running over, scads, sea, shower, sight, so, so very much, spate, spoil, stream, substantiality, substantialness, superabundance, superabundant, superfluity, surpassingly, teeming, teemingness, to the skies, tons, very much, volume, wealth, wealthy, well-found, well-furnished, well-nigh, well-provided, well-stocked, wholesale, world, worlds

ROGET THESAURUS

Much

Greatness

N greatness, magnitude, size, multitude, immensity, enormity, infinity, might, strength, intensity, fullness, importance, great quantity, quantity, deal, power, sight, pot, volume, world, mass, heap, stock, peck, bushel, load, cargo, cartload, wagonload, shipload, flood, spring tide, abundance, principal part, chief part, main part, greater part, major part, best part, essential part, bulk, mass, great, greater, large, considerable, fair, above par, big, huge, Herculean, cyclopean, ample, abundant, full, intense, strong, sound, passing, heavy, plenary, deep, high, signal, at its height, in the zenith, world-wide, widespread, far-famed, extensive, wholesale, many, goodly, noble, precious, mighty, sad, grave, heavy, serious, far gone, arrant, downright, utter, uttermost, crass, gross, arch, profound, intense, consummate, rank, uninitiated, red-hot, desperate, glaring, flagrant, stark staring, thorough-paced, thoroughgoing, roaring, thumping, extraordinary, important, unsurpassed, complete, august, grand, dignified, sublime, majestic, vast, immense, enormous, extreme, inordinate, excessive, extravagant, exorbitant, outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, swinging, monstrous, overgrown, towering, stupendous, prodigious, astonishing, incredible, marvelous, unlimited, unapproachable, unutterable, indescribable, ineffable, unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond expression, fabulous, undiminished, unabated, unreduced, unrestricted, absolute, positive, stark, decided, unequivocal, essential, perfect, finished, remarkable, of mark, marked, pointed, veriest, noteworthy, renowned, truly, decidedly, unequivocally, purely, absolutely, seriously, essentially, fundamentally, radically, downright, in all conscience, for the most part, in the main, entirely, abundantly, widely, far and wide, greatly, much, muckle, well, indeed, very, very much, a deal, no end of, most, not a little, pretty, pretty well, enough, in a great measure, richly, to a large extent, to a great extent, to a gigantic extent, on a large scale, so, never so, ever so, ever so dole, scrap, shred, tag, splinter, rag, much, by wholesale, mighty, powerfully, with a witness, ultra, in the extreme, extremely, exceedingly, intensely, exquisitely, acutely, indefinitely, immeasurably, beyond compare, beyond comparison, beyond measure, beyond all bounds, incalculably, infinitely, preeminently, superlatively, immoderately, monstrously, preposterously, inordinately, exorbitantly, excessively, enormously, out of all proportion, with a vengeance, particularly, remarkably, singularly, curiously, uncommonly, unusually, peculiarly, notably, signally, strikingly, pointedly, mainly, chiefly, famously, egregiously, prominently, glaringly, emphatically, kat exochin, strangely, wonderfully, amazingly, surprisingly, astonishingly, incredibly, marvelously, awfully, stupendously, peculiarly, furiously, severely, desperately, tremendously, extravagantly, confoundedly, deucedly, devilishly, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, painfully, sadly, grossly, sorely, bitterly, piteously, grievously, miserably, cruelly, woefully, lamentably, shockingly, frightfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, horribly, a maximis ad minima, greatness knows itself, mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed, minimum decet libere cui multum licet, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them, greatness, magnitude, size, multitude, immensity, enormity, infinity, might, strength, intensity, fullness, importance, great quantity, quantity, deal, power, sight, pot, volume, world, mass, heap, stock, peck, bushel, load, cargo, cartload, wagonload, shipload, flood, spring tide, abundance, principal part, chief part, main part, greater part, major part, best part, essential part, bulk, mass, great, greater, large, considerable, fair, above par, big, huge, Herculean, cyclopean, ample, abundant, full, intense, strong, sound, passing, heavy, plenary, deep, high, signal, at its height, in the zenith, world-wide, widespread, far-famed, extensive, wholesale, many, goodly, noble, precious, mighty, sad, grave, heavy, serious, far gone, arrant, downright, utter, uttermost, crass, gross, arch, profound, intense, consummate, rank, uninitiated, red-hot, desperate, glaring, flagrant, stark staring, thorough-paced, thoroughgoing, roaring, thumping, extraordinary, important, unsurpassed, complete, august, grand, dignified, sublime, majestic, vast, immense, enormous, extreme, inordinate, excessive, extravagant, exorbitant, outrageous, preposterous, unconscionable, swinging, monstrous, overgrown, towering, stupendous, prodigious, astonishing, incredible, marvelous, unlimited, unapproachable, unutterable, indescribable, ineffable, unspeakable, inexpressible, beyond expression, fabulous, undiminished, unabated, unreduced, unrestricted, absolute, positive, stark, decided, unequivocal, essential, perfect, finished, remarkable, of mark, marked, pointed, veriest, noteworthy, renowned, truly, decidedly, unequivocally, purely, absolutely, seriously, essentially, fundamentally, radically, downright, in all conscience, for the most part, in the main, entirely, abundantly, widely, far and wide, greatly, much, muckle, well, indeed, very, very much, a deal, no end of, most, not a little, pretty, pretty well, enough, in a great measure, richly, to a large extent, to a great extent, to a gigantic extent, on a large scale, so, never so, ever so, ever so dole, scrap, shred, tag, splinter, rag, much, by wholesale, mighty, powerfully, with a witness, ultra, in the extreme, extremely, exceedingly, intensely, exquisitely, acutely, indefinitely, immeasurably, beyond compare, beyond comparison, beyond measure, beyond all bounds, incalculably, infinitely, preeminently, superlatively, immoderately, monstrously, preposterously, inordinately, exorbitantly, excessively, enormously, out of all proportion, with a vengeance, particularly, remarkably, singularly, curiously, uncommonly, unusually, peculiarly, notably, signally, strikingly, pointedly, mainly, chiefly, famously, egregiously, prominently, glaringly, emphatically, kat exochin, strangely, wonderfully, amazingly, surprisingly, astonishingly, incredibly, marvelously, awfully, stupendously, peculiarly, furiously, severely, desperately, tremendously, extravagantly, confoundedly, deucedly, devilishly, with a vengeance, a outrance, a toute outrance, painfully, sadly, grossly, sorely, bitterly, piteously, grievously, miserably, cruelly, woefully, lamentably, shockingly, frightfully, dreadfully, fearfully, terribly, horribly, a maximis ad minima, greatness knows itself, mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed, minimum decet libere cui multum licet, some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.