many
♦♦♦ many /m'eni/
1 [DET] DET pl-n, oft with brd-neg
You use many to indicate that you are talking about a large number of people or things.
I don't think many people would argue with that...
Not many films are made in Finland...
Many holidaymakers had avoided the worst of the delays by consulting tourist offices...
Acting is definitely a young person's profession in many ways.
≠ few
[PRON]
Many is also a pronoun.
We stood up, thinking through the possibilities. There weren't many.
≠ few, some
[QUANT] QUANT of def-pl-n
Many is also a quantifier.
So, once we have cohabited, why do many of us feel the need to get married?...
It seems there are not very many of them left in the sea...
[ADJ] det ADJ, v-link ADJ
Many is also an adjective.
Among his many hobbies was the breeding of fine horses...
The possibilities are many.
2 [ADV] ADV as reply
You use many in expressions such as `not many', `not very many', and `too many' when replying to questions about numbers of things or people.
`How many of the songs that dealt with this theme became hit songs?'--`Not very many.'...
How many years is it since we've seen each other? Too many, anyway.
3 [PREDET]
You use many followed by `a' and a noun to emphasize that there are a lot of people or things involved in something.
Many a mother tries to act out her unrealized dreams through her daughter...
4 [DET] how DET pl-n
You use many after `how' to ask questions about numbers or quantities. You use many after `how' in reported clauses to talk about numbers or quantities.
How many years have you been here?...
No-one knows how many people have been killed since the war began.
[PRON] how PRON
Many is also a pronoun.
How many do you smoke a day?
5 [DET] as DET pl-n, usu as DET pl-n as cl/group
You use many with `as' when you are comparing numbers of things or people.
I've always entered as many photo competitions as I can...
We produced ten times as many tractors as the United States.
[PRON] as PRON
Many is also a pronoun.
Let the child try on as many as she likes.
6 [PRON]
You use many to mean `many people'.
Iris Murdoch was regarded by many as a supremely good and serious writer.
7 [N-SING] the N
The many means a large group of people, especially the ordinary people in society, considered as separate from a particular small group.
The printing press gave power to a few to change the world for the many...
8 [PHRASE] PHR num
You use as many as before a number to suggest that it is surprisingly large.
As many as four and a half million people watched today's parade.
9 [PHRASE] PHR pl-n
You use a good many or a great many to emphasize that you are referring to a large number of things or people.
We've both had a good many beers...
For a great many men and women, romance can be a most important part of marriage.
10
many happy returns: see return
in so many words: see word
1 [DET] DET pl-n, oft with brd-neg
You use many to indicate that you are talking about a large number of people or things.
I don't think many people would argue with that...
Not many films are made in Finland...
Many holidaymakers had avoided the worst of the delays by consulting tourist offices...
Acting is definitely a young person's profession in many ways.
≠ few
[PRON]
Many is also a pronoun.
We stood up, thinking through the possibilities. There weren't many.
≠ few, some
[QUANT] QUANT of def-pl-n
Many is also a quantifier.
So, once we have cohabited, why do many of us feel the need to get married?...
It seems there are not very many of them left in the sea...
[ADJ] det ADJ, v-link ADJ
Many is also an adjective.
Among his many hobbies was the breeding of fine horses...
The possibilities are many.
2 [ADV] ADV as reply
You use many in expressions such as `not many', `not very many', and `too many' when replying to questions about numbers of things or people.
`How many of the songs that dealt with this theme became hit songs?'--`Not very many.'...
How many years is it since we've seen each other? Too many, anyway.
3 [PREDET]
You use many followed by `a' and a noun to emphasize that there are a lot of people or things involved in something.
Many a mother tries to act out her unrealized dreams through her daughter...
4 [DET] how DET pl-n
You use many after `how' to ask questions about numbers or quantities. You use many after `how' in reported clauses to talk about numbers or quantities.
How many years have you been here?...
No-one knows how many people have been killed since the war began.
[PRON] how PRON
Many is also a pronoun.
How many do you smoke a day?
5 [DET] as DET pl-n, usu as DET pl-n as cl/group
You use many with `as' when you are comparing numbers of things or people.
I've always entered as many photo competitions as I can...
We produced ten times as many tractors as the United States.
[PRON] as PRON
Many is also a pronoun.
Let the child try on as many as she likes.
6 [PRON]
You use many to mean `many people'.
Iris Murdoch was regarded by many as a supremely good and serious writer.
7 [N-SING] the N
The many means a large group of people, especially the ordinary people in society, considered as separate from a particular small group.
The printing press gave power to a few to change the world for the many...
8 [PHRASE] PHR num
You use as many as before a number to suggest that it is surprisingly large.
As many as four and a half million people watched today's parade.
9 [PHRASE] PHR pl-n
You use a good many or a great many to emphasize that you are referring to a large number of things or people.
We've both had a good many beers...
For a great many men and women, romance can be a most important part of marriage.
10
many happy returns: see return
in so many words: see word