Many
/ˈmɛni/
Definitions
2 meaningsA large number or amount.
/ˈmɛni/
A large number of things or people.
Many students attended the lecture.
💡 Simply: Imagine a big group of friends! 'Many' means there are a whole bunch of them. Like, 'I have many toys!' means you have lots of them to play with. It’s more than just a few!
👶 For kids: A whole bunch, a lot!
More Examples
She has many friends.
There were many cars in the parking lot.
I saw many birds flying in the sky.
How It's Used
"Many people enjoy reading."
"There are many books on the shelf."
A large number of people or things (used to refer to a group).
/ˈmɛni/
A large number of people or things.
Many were in favor of the decision.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're talking about your friends, and you don't want to name them all. You can say 'Many of us went to the park!'
👶 For kids: A whole bunch of them!
More Examples
Many people were injured in the accident.
Many of the books were old.
Many believe that is true.
How It's Used
"Many of them agreed with the proposal."
Idioms & expressions
many a time
Often; frequently; repeatedly.
"I've told you many a time not to do that!"
From Old English *manig*, from Proto-Germanic *managaz* (comparable to Gothic *manags*), meaning 'much, many'. Related to words in other Germanic languages.
Used extensively throughout history, from ancient texts to modern literature, 'many' has consistently indicated a large quantity.
Memory tip
Think of 'man' and 'y', imagine a lot of people (men and women) standing together.
Word Origin
"much, many"