a lot

adverb

1
: to a considerable degree or extent : much, lots
This is a lot nicer.
I liked it a lot. [=very much]
2
: often, frequently
Do you travel a lot?

Examples of a lot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The universe is a lot more complicated than a coin, and the statistical significances depend on subtle assumptions in the data analysis. Charlie Wood, WIRED, 28 Apr. 2024 Third-party tests In political polling, third-party measures can mean a lot of things. Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2024 This album seems a lot more direct and unguarded than your past work. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2024 Myopia, or the need for corrected vision to focus or see objects at a distance, has become a lot more common in recent decades. Andrew Herbert, Discover Magazine, 27 Apr. 2024 Because so much of this film is about what goes unspoken, a lot is riding on the performances. Selome Hailu, Variety, 27 Apr. 2024 There’s a lot of work to do in coverage, but his top-tier size and elite speed (4.34 40-yard dash at the combine) are catnip for defensive coaches. 62. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2024 Not a lot of people know about it so just kind of a shout out to small schools all over. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2024 Making new cell walls, for example, takes a lot of fuel, says Dove. Corey Buhay, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Apr. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of a lot was in 1821

Dictionary Entries Near a lot

Cite this Entry

“A lot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20lot. Accessed 3 May. 2024.

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