TKG English Learner's Dictionary

much

muchdeterminer

American /mʌtʃ/ British /mʌtʃ/
very commondefining vocabulary

  1. a large amountused before an uncountable noun, mainly in questions and negative sentences, to mean a large amount

    Much goes before an uncountable noun and is most natural in a question or a negative sentence: how much time?, not much time. In an ordinary positive statement, a lot of is the everyday choice (I have a lot of time); bare much there (I have much time) sounds formal or old-fashioned, though it is common after so, too, and as.

    Collocations

    phrase so much, too much, as much

    Antonyms little

    Compare many (much goes with an uncountable noun; many goes with a plural countable noun)

Usage

In an ordinary positive statement, a lot of is far more common than bare much: say I have a lot of homework, not I have much homework, which sounds stiff or literary. Much is completely normal in questions (how much...?), negatives (not much...), and after so, too, and as. The comparative of much is more, and the superlative is most, shared with many. Much used alone, without a following noun (much has changed), or as an adverb (I don't like it much), belongs to separate entries.

Common mistakes

I have much work to do today. I have a lot of work to do today.
In an everyday positive statement, a lot of is the natural choice; bare much there sounds formal.
She doesn't have many money. She doesn't have much money.
An uncountable noun like money needs much, not many.

See also many; more; much (much used alone, without a following noun: much has changed); much (much used to modify a verb or adjective: I don't like it much)

For translators

Grammar trap Much goes only with an uncountable noun; the matching word for a plural countable noun is many. In ordinary positive statements, a lot of usually replaces bare much.