lot
[noun]
Synonyms:
- collection, assortment, batch, bunch (informal), consignment, crowd, group, quantity, set
- destiny, accident, chance, doom, fate, fortune
- a lot or lots: plenty, abundance, a great deal, heap(s), load(s) (informal), masses (informal), piles (informal), scores, stack(s)

---

Related Words: decree, fortune, foreordination, predestination, predetermination, clearing, field, patch, part, plottage, block, frontage, real estate, aggregate, aggregation, conglomerate, conglomeration

---

English Thesaurus: many, a lot, dozens/hundreds/thousands/millions, a large number of, numerous, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

LOT /lɒt $ lɑːt/ trademark
a Polish airline

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

I. lot¹ S1 W1 /lɒt $ lɑːt/ pronoun, adverb

1. a lot (also lots informal) a large amount or number:
We’ve spent a lot on the children’s education.
‘How many CDs have you got?’ ‘Lots.’
a lot of
They paid a lot of money for that house.
I eat a lot of vegetables.
There were lots of people at the party.
an awful lot (also a whole lot informal) (=a very large amount or number)
He spends an awful lot of time on the computer.
a lot to do/learn/say etc
I still have a lot to learn.
It’s a great city, with lots to see and do.
GRAMMAR
Use a singular verb if you are using a lot of or lots of before an uncountable noun, and a plural verb if you are using it before a plural noun:
A lot of money was spent on it.
A lot of people were killed.
► Do not say 'lot of' or 'a lots of'.
► Do not use a lot of with 'years’ or 'days’. Say many years/days or a long time.

REGISTER
A lot is fairly informal and lots is informal. In written English, use many followed by a plural noun, or a large amount followed by an uncountable noun:
■ This was unpopular for a lot of reasons. ➔ This was unpopular for many reasons.
■ | They spent a lot of money. ➔ They spent a large amount of money.

2. a lot (also lots informal) if someone or something is a lot better, faster, easier etc, they are much better, faster etc Synonym : much:
My headache’s lots better, thanks.
She has a lot more contact with clients these days.
You’ll get there a lot quicker if you take the motorway.
The house is a lot tidier now Chris has left home.

3. a lot used to say that something happens to a great degree or often:
Things have changed a lot since I was a child.
Paul travels a lot on business.
I’ve been worrying a lot about my health.
She likes you a lot.

4. have a lot on your plate informal to have a large number of problems to deal with or a large amount of work to do

5. have a lot on your mind to have a lot of problems that you are worried about:
‘You’re quiet today.’ ‘I’ve got a lot on my mind.’

6. have a lot on British English to be very busy, with a large number of things to do in a short time:
I can’t help you now – I’ve got rather a lot on.
⇒ thanks a lot at thanks¹(1), ⇒ a fat lot of good/use at fat¹(5), ⇒ have a lot to answer for at ANSWER FOR(2)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. lot² S2 noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: hlot 'object used for making a choice by chance']

1. GROUP OF PEOPLE/THINGS [countable] a group of people or things considered together:
Could you help me carry this lot upstairs?
lot of
The last lot of people offered £70,000.
I did three lots of exams last summer.
Come on, you lot, hurry up!
His friends are a strange lot.

2. the lot especially British English the whole of an amount or number of things, people etc:
We’ll do everything – cooking, washing, ironing – the lot.
I can’t believe you ate the whole lot.
I think that’s the lot (=everything is included).
the lot of you/them/us (=all of you, them, or us)
Shut up, the lot of you!

3. SB’S SITUATION [singular] your lot is your work, duties, social position etc, especially when they could be better:
She seems happy enough with her lot.
The unions have always tried to improve the lot of their members.

4. LAND [countable] especially American English an area of land used for building on or for another purpose:
the vacant lot (=empty land) behind the Commercial Hotel
a used-car lot ⇒ parking lot

5. FILM [countable] a building and the land surrounding it where films are made Synonym : studio:
the Universal Studios lot

6. THING TO BE SOLD [countable] something, or a group of things, that is sold at an auction:
Lot 54 is a Victorian lamp.

7. CHOOSING
a) by lot if someone is chosen by lot, several people each take a piece of paper or an object from a container, and the person who is chosen is the one who gets a particular marked paper or object:
In Athens at that time, judges were chosen by lot.
b) draw/cast lots to choose something or someone by lot:
We drew lots to decide who should go first.

8. throw in/cast your lot with somebody/something to join or support someone or something, and accept that what happens to them will affect what happens to you:
In 1915 Italy threw in her lot with the Allies.
⇒ bad lot at bad¹(21), ⇒ a job lot at job(17)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

lot
noun
I. whole amount
ADJ. whole She bought the whole lot.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lot
II. large amount
ADJ. awful I've got an awful lot of work to do before I go on holiday.
PHRASES a hell of a lot a hell of a lot of money

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lot
III. empty ground
ADJ. empty, vacant He parked his caravan on a vacant lot.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

lot
pronoun
1.
See LOT (lot)/LOTS

---

2.
BAD: My husband and I met each other a lot of years ago.
GOOD: My husband and I met each other many years ago.
BAD: The problem is that for a lot of years smoking was not considered to be anti-social.
GOOD: The problem is that for many years smoking was not considered to be anti-social.

Usage Note:
many + weeks/months/years (NOT a lot of ): 'Many years have passed since we were at school together.'
Compare: 'During the summer we spend a lot of time in the garden.'

---

3.
BAD: There is a lot of countries in the same situation.
GOOD: There are a lot of countries in the same situation.

Usage Note:
See note at THERE 2 (there)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

many a large number of people or things – used in everyday English in questions and negative sentences, and after ‘too’ and ‘so’. In formal or written English, you can also use it in other sentences:
There weren’t many people at the meeting.
Did you get many birthday presents?
Many people voted against the proposal.
a lot many. A lot is less formal than many and is the usual phrase to use in everyday English:
A lot of tourists visit Venice in the summer.
The club has a lot more members now.
dozens/hundreds/thousands/millions many – used when you cannot be exact but the number is two dozen or more, two hundred or more etc:
At least five people died and dozens more were injured in a gas explosion.
They’ve wasted thousands of pounds on the project.
a large number of written a lot of a particular type of person or thing:
China plans to build a large number of nuclear power plants.
numerous formal many – used especially when saying that something has happened many times:
We’ve contacted him on numerous occasions.
Numerous studies have shown a link between smoking and lung cancer.
countless/innumerable /ɪˈnjuːmərəbəl $ ɪˈnuː-/ [only before noun] many – used when it is impossible to count or imagine how many. Innumerable is more formal than countless:
He spent countless hours in the gym.
They had been given innumerable warnings.
a host of many – used especially when something seems surprising or impressive:
Age is the biggest risk factor in a host of diseases.
People leave jobs for a whole host of reasons.
a raft of many – used especially when talking about ideas, suggestions, changes in business or politics:
The report made a raft of recommendations.
The new government is planning a whole raft of changes.
quite a few especially spoken a fairly large number of people or things:
We’ve had quite a few problems with the software.
I’ve met quite a few of his friends.
lots informal many:
I’ve invited lots of people.
‘How many cats has she got?’ ‘Lots!’
tons/loads informal many – a very informal use:
I’ve got tons of books.
Have a strawberry – there are loads here.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

often used when saying that something happens many times:
Gary was often bad-tempered in the morning.
We often meet up for a drink after work.
a lot informal often:
I think she likes him – she talks about him a lot.
His wife goes abroad on business a lot.
frequently especially written often – used especially in writing or more formal English:
Passengers complain that trains are frequently late.
Older patients frequently forget to take their medicine.
regularly often, especially at regular intervals:
Buses run regularly every ten minutes.
again and again used to emphasize that someone does something many times, or the same thing happens many times:
She told herself again and again that everything would be all right.
Gunfire rang out across the city again and again.
repeatedly especially written used to emphasize that someone does something many times:
His doctor had repeatedly warned him not to work so hard.
constantly/continually often over a long period of time – used especially about something that is annoying or causes problems:
They seem to be continually arguing.
It’s hard to keep up with technology when it’s constantly changing.
time and time again many times – used when this is annoying or does not have any effect:
He forgets his keys time and time again.
I tell students time and time again to keep careful notes.
tend to do something to often do a particular thing and be likely to do it:
Dave tends to arrive late so don’t worry.
Girls tend to be better at languages than boys.
have a tendency to do something to often do something, especially something that is not good, and be more likely to do it than other people or things:
Some people have a tendency to put on weight.
This type of cloth has a tendency to shrink.
be inclined to do something to do something fairly often or be fairly likely to do it, especially because this is part of your character:
Teenage boys are inclined to take risks.
She was inclined to giggle in class.
have a habit of doing something used when saying that something has happened many times before and is likely to happen again:
Ben had a habit of coming home drunk.
Life has a habit of surprising people.
be prone to something to be more likely to have problems:
Some older computer systems were prone to go wrong.
The fitter you are, the less you are prone to injury.
plants that are prone to disease

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

lot
lɔt
See: a lot , cast one's lot with , sand lot , think a great deal of or think a lot of , throw in one's lot with or cast in one's lot with

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲