more

1 of 4

adjective

1
: greater
something more than she expected
2
: additional, further
more guests arrived

more

2 of 4

adverb

1
a
: in addition
a couple of times more
b
2
: to a greater or higher degree
often used with an adjective or adverb to form the comparative
more evenly matched

more

3 of 4

noun

1
: a greater quantity, number, or amount
liked the idea better the more I thought about it
2
: something additional : an additional amount
3
obsolete : persons of higher rank

more

4 of 4

pronoun

singular or plural in construction
: additional persons or things or a greater amount
more will arrive shortly
more was spilled

Examples of more in a Sentence

Adjective I felt more pain after the procedure, not less. The new engine has even more power. You like more sugar in your tea than I do. He had done more harm than he had intended. The series will have five more episodes. The company hired a few more employees. I offered him some more coffee. One more thing and then I'm leaving. Can you say that one more time? Adverb The shot hurt more than I expected. It happens more often than it used to. The building looks more like a museum than a library. The players grew more intense as the game went on. To me, there's nothing more exciting than playing football. She more closely resembles her aunt than her mother. He struggled to find a more comfortable position. It's the same product—they've done nothing more than change the label. a couple of times more What more could you ask for? Noun add a little more to the mixture
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Nominees include Colman Domingo, Usher, Keke Palmer, Kerry Washington, H.E.R. and more, while Idris Elba and Sterling K. Brown are among the A-list presenters. Kate Hogan, Peoplemag, 17 Mar. 2024 In the second phase, the two sides would declare a permanent cease-fire and Hamas would free the remaining Israeli soldiers held hostage in exchange for more prisoners, the officials said. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 17 Mar. 2024 Dallas missed two more shots during the possession before finally scoring a fourth-chance put-back. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 17 Mar. 2024 John Wilder, who is ranked 216th in North America, spends about four hours a week studying words — more when big tournaments are approaching. Joe Heim, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2024 What’s more, fans were treated to live performances of several Diary tracks rarely played in the ’90s or subsequent reunion tours. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 17 Mar. 2024 There is more at stake than tax breaks and border control. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 A week of severe weather education for Hoosiers NWS has scheduled the following topics beginning March 10, and more details for each day can be found online at: weather.gov/ind/SevereWxWeek. The Indianapolis Star, 5 Mar. 2024 For more details, go to: www.detroitmi.gov/health or call 313-876-4667. Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 5 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Best dates to book a domestic destination Unlike international destinations, prices for domestic destinations are likely to be more competitive between five to up to a month before your trip. Wilson Santiago Burgos, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024 YouTube star MrBeast has struck a deal with Amazon MGM to produce a massive reality TV competition game show — a watershed moment for the entertainment industry that shows how online content creators with millions of followers are being sought by more traditional entertainment companies. Taylor Lorenz, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 The report, penned by NDR chief economist Alejandra Grindal and senior analyst Patrick Ayers, found that across 19 major economies, women between the ages of 25 and 34 are more likely to have a higher level of education beyond high school than men. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 More women are attracted to teaching, while men are more likely to take jobs with physical risk, such as construction, where pay is higher owing to the risk premium. Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2024 Everything is a little more relaxed to a certain extent. Eric Twardzik, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024 Today’s elite take life-extension a lot more literally. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 Today, many contemporary Japanese architects pay homage to American Modernism, often with an obsessive focus on materials and techniques that make these structures feel lighter and more pristine than their predecessors. Kurt Soller Anu Kumar, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Measles outbreaks are more likely in areas where groups of people remain unvaccinated. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Again, people often refuse to abandon attitudes and mores which obstruct economic performance. Wanjiru Njoya, Orange County Register, 13 Feb. 2024 Her career has survived because comedy thrives on shock value, but also because she’s been willing to apologize, repeatedly and sincerely, and acknowledge when her humor has offended or no longer aligns with social mores. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 30 Nov. 2023 The leader, who is expected to call for elections soon, also invoked the Bible and social mores. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Payne is a satirist, but the movie leans more into physical comedy and witty dialogue than spearing social mores. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2023 Within the nature of modesty itself, there lies a timeless assertion of human dignity despite the constant change in fashion, occasion, and social mores. Kayla Bartsch, National Review, 10 Jan. 2024 Lean blended guilt and innocence with the relativity of social mores, and the spiritual excitement was blazing. Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2024 Novak’s other works approach the world with the same quizzical stance toward traditional mores. Ashley Fetters Maloy, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2024 That came at a cost, namely a continual battle between Tom Smothers and network censors who objected to making fun of societal mores. Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Adverb, Noun, and Pronoun

Middle English, from Old English māra; akin to Old English , adverb, more, Old High German mēr, Old Irish more

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Pronoun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of more was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near more

Cite this Entry

“More.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/more. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

more

1 of 3 adjective
ˈmō(ə)r How to pronounce more (audio)
ˈmȯ(ə)r
1
: greater in amount, number, or size
felt more pain
2
: extra entry 1, additional
bought more apples

more

2 of 3 adverb
1
: in addition
wait one day more
2
: to a greater or higher extent
often used with an adjective or adverb to form the comparative
more active
more actively

more

3 of 3 noun
1
: a greater amount or number
got more than we expected
the more I thought about it
2
: an additional amount or number
the more the merrier

Biographical Definition

More 1 of 3

biographical name (1)

Hannah 1745–1833 English religious writer

More

2 of 3

biographical name (2)

Henry 1614–1687 English philosopher

More

3 of 3

biographical name (3)

Sir Thomas 1478–1535 Saint Thomas More English statesman and author

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