Thesaurus: many

Related headwords

Definitions

1. n. A retinue of servants; a household.
2. a. / pron. Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few.
3. a. The populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a community.
4. a. A large or considerable number.
5. adj. a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by ‘as’ or ‘too’ or ‘so’ or ‘that’; amounting to a large but indefinite number; quantifier, plural pronoun; quantifier, plural
6. A retinue of servants; a household. [Obs.] Chaucer. Consisting of a great number; numerous; not few. Thou shalt be a father of many nations. Gen. xvii. 4. Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 1 Cor. i. 26. Note: Many is freely prefixed to participles, forming compounds which need no special explanation; as, many-angled, many-celled, many-eyed, many-footed, many-handed, many-leaved, many-lettered, many-named, many-peopled, many-petaled, many-seeded, many-syllabled (polysyllabic), many-tongued, many-voiced, many-wived, and the like. Comparison is often expressed by many with as or so. "As many as were willing hearted . . . brought bracelets." Exod. xxxv. 22. "So many laws argue so many sins." Milton. Many stands with a singular substantive with a or an. Many a, a large number taken distributively; each one of many. "For thy sake have I shed many a tear." Shak. "Full many a gem of purest ray serene." Gray. -- Many one, many a one; many persons. BK. of Com. Prayer. -- The many, the majority; -- opposed to the few. See Many, n. -- Too many, too numerous; hence, too powerful; as, they are too many for us. L'Estrange. Syn. -- Numerous; multiplied; frequent; manifold; various; divers; sundry. 1. The populace; the common people; the majority of people, or of a community. After him the rascal many ran. Spenser. 2. A large or considerable number. A many of our bodies shall no doubt Find native graves. Shak. Seeing a great many in rich gowns. Addison. It will be concluded by manythat he lived like an honest man. Fielding. Note: In this sense, many is connected immediately with another substantive (without of) to show of what the many consists; as, a good many [of] people think so. He is liable to a great many inconveniences. Tillotson.
7. A retinue of servants; a household. [Obs.] Chaucer.
8. d:100 a. a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by `as' or `too' or `so' or `that'; amounting to a large but indefinite number