Idioms are special sayings. They make our language colorful and interesting. Sometimes, instead of saying we have “a lot” of something, we use idioms. These idioms help us show others exactly how much we mean. For example, if you have many toys, you might say you have “tons of toys.”
In this article, you’ll learn different idioms that mean “a lot.” Knowing these idioms helps you speak clearly and makes conversations fun. Later, you’ll practice rewriting simple sentences by using idioms you learn. Soon, you’ll easily tell your friends when you have “a lot” of homework, snacks, or games, all using idioms!
Idioms for A Lot
1. Tons of
Meaning: A large amount of something.
Example: I have tons of homework tonight. / She brought tons of candy to the party.
Put Differently: I have a lot of homework tonight. / She brought plenty of candy to the party.
2. A mountain of
Meaning: So much of something that it looks huge.
Example: Mom has a mountain of laundry to finish. / We had a mountain of leaves in our yard last fall.
Put Differently: Mom has lots of laundry to finish. / We had many leaves in our yard last fall.
3. Loads of
Meaning: A big number or amount of something.
Example: There are loads of people at the park today. / Jake has loads of baseball cards in his collection.
Put Differently: There are lots of people at the park today. / Jake has plenty of baseball cards in his collection.
4. Heaps of
Meaning: A large quantity, similar to a big pile.
Example: We had heaps of fun at the amusement park. / She won heaps of prizes at the fair.
Put Differently: We had lots of fun at the amusement park. / She won many prizes at the fair.
5. Buckets of
Meaning: A large quantity, especially liquids or something that fills buckets.
Example: It rained buckets of water during the storm. / Grandma baked buckets of cookies for Christmas.
Put Differently: It rained heavily during the storm. / Grandma baked many cookies for Christmas.
6. A flood of
Meaning: A huge amount, often used for something coming quickly.
Example: She got a flood of letters on her birthday. / The teacher asked a question and got a flood of answers.
Put Differently: She got many letters on her birthday. / The teacher got many answers quickly.
7. A pile of
Meaning: A large quantity stacked or grouped together.
Example: Dad has a pile of bills to pay. / There’s a pile of dishes waiting in the sink.
Put Differently: Dad has many bills to pay. / There are many dishes waiting in the sink.
8. Plenty of
Meaning: More than enough.
Example: There’s plenty of popcorn for the movie night. / We have plenty of time before the game starts.
Put Differently: There’s enough popcorn for everyone. / We have more than enough time before the game.
9. Oodles of
Meaning: Lots of something, in a cheerful way.
Example: She has oodles of crayons in her art box. / We got oodles of candy on Halloween.
Put Differently: She has many crayons. / We got a lot of candy on Halloween.
10. A bunch of
Meaning: A large amount or number.
Example: There’s a bunch of kids playing basketball outside. / She gave me a bunch of grapes for my snack.
Put Differently: There are many kids playing basketball outside. / She gave me lots of grapes.
11. Scads of
Meaning: Many, a big number.
Example: Our teacher gave us scads of homework today. / He collected scads of stickers for his book.
Put Differently: Our teacher gave us lots of homework. / He collected many stickers.
12. A boatload of
Meaning: A very large amount.
Example: He has a boatload of video games at his house. / We caught a boatload of fish on vacation.
Put Differently: He has many video games. / We caught lots of fish.
13. Stacks of
Meaning: A big number, piled or stacked up.
Example: There are stacks of books in the library. / Mom made stacks of pancakes for breakfast.
Put Differently: There are many books in the library. / Mom made lots of pancakes.
14. Zillions of
Meaning: A very large, exaggerated number.
Example: I have zillions of questions about space. / There are zillions of stars in the sky.
Put Differently: I have many questions. / There are a lot of stars.
15. Gazillions of
Meaning: An extremely large number (fun and exaggerated).
Example: She spent gazillions of hours on her project. / We have gazillions of bugs in our backyard.
Put Differently: She spent many hours on her project. / We have lots of bugs.
16. Swarms of
Meaning: Many insects or small creatures moving together.
Example: Swarms of bees filled our garden. / There were swarms of mosquitoes at camp.
Put Differently: Many bees filled our garden. / Lots of mosquitoes were at camp.
17. Crowds of
Meaning: A large number of people gathered together.
Example: Crowds of people watched the parade. / Crowds of fans went to the baseball game.
Put Differently: Many people watched the parade. / Many fans went to the game.
18. A shower of
Meaning: Many small things falling together.
Example: She received a shower of compliments for her drawing. / We saw a shower of shooting stars last night.
Put Differently: She received many compliments. / We saw many shooting stars.
19. An ocean of
Meaning: An extremely large amount, often of feelings or people.
Example: She felt an ocean of happiness when she won the prize. / An ocean of fans waited outside the concert hall.
Put Differently: She felt very happy. / Many fans waited outside.
20. Rivers of
Meaning: A large flow or quantity.
Example: Rivers of people moved through the shopping mall. / She cried rivers of tears after the sad movie.
Put Differently: Many people moved through the mall. / She cried a lot.
21. An army of
Meaning: A big group of people or animals ready to do something.
Example: An army of ants marched across our picnic blanket. / She has an army of helpers to set up the party.
Put Differently: Many ants marched by. / She has many helpers.
22. Bags of
Meaning: A large amount, especially useful or enjoyable.
Example: She has bags of talent for singing. / We have bags of snacks for the trip.
Put Differently: She has lots of talent. / We have plenty of snacks.
23. Masses of
Meaning: Large numbers of people or things grouped closely together.
Example: Masses of people visited the museum. / There were masses of flowers blooming in spring.
Put Differently: Many people visited. / Many flowers bloomed.
24. A ton of
Meaning: Very much or very many of something.
Example: I learned a ton of facts at the science museum. / We ate a ton of pizza last night.
Put Differently: I learned many facts. / We ate lots of pizza.
25. A barrel of
Meaning: A large amount, especially something fun.
Example: We had a barrel of laughs at the comedy show. / There’s a barrel of apples at the farmer’s market.
Put Differently: We laughed a lot. / There are many apples.
26. Scores of
Meaning: A large number or amount.
Example: Scores of fans cheered during the football game. / Scores of birds landed in our backyard.
Put Differently: Many fans cheered. / Many birds landed.
27. Slew of
Meaning: A very large amount.
Example: We found a slew of shells at the beach. / She bought a slew of new clothes for school.
Put Differently: We found many shells. / She bought a lot of clothes.
28. Plenty to spare
Meaning: More than enough of something.
Example: We have food with plenty to spare. / They had candy with plenty to spare after Halloween.
Put Differently: We have extra food. / They had extra candy.
29. Abundance of
Meaning: Having more than enough of something.
Example: The garden had an abundance of vegetables. / The bakery has an abundance of cupcakes today.
Put Differently: The garden had many vegetables. / The bakery has many cupcakes.
30. Droves of
Meaning: Large groups moving together.
Example: Droves of people went to the carnival. / Droves of ducks crossed the road.
Put Differently: Many people went to the carnival. / Many ducks crossed.
31. A herd of
Meaning: A large group, usually animals or people.
Example: A herd of cows grazed in the field. / A herd of kids ran into the ice cream shop after school.
Put Differently: Many cows grazed in the field. / Many kids ran into the ice cream shop.
32. A sea of
Meaning: A very large amount of something spreads widely.
Example: The field was a sea of flowers in the spring. / There was a sea of faces at the concert.
Put Differently: The field had many flowers. / There were many people at the concert.
33. A wealth of
Meaning: Having plenty, especially valuable or useful things.
Example: The library offers a wealth of information./ Grandma has a wealth of stories to share.
Put Differently: The library offers lots of information. / Grandma has many stories.
34. A forest of
Meaning: A very large number of tall or standing things grouped together.
Example: A forest of buildings fills downtown Chicago. / There was a forest of hands raised in class.
Put Differently: There are many buildings in downtown Chicago. / Many students raised their hands.
35. Acres of
Meaning: A large space or quantity of something.
Example: There are acres of parking spaces at the shopping mall. / She baked acres of brownies for the bake sale.
Put Differently: There are many parking spaces. / She baked many brownies.
36. Millions of
Meaning: An exaggerated, very big number.
Example: I have millions of things to do this weekend. / The sky is full of millions of stars.
Put Differently: I have many things to do. / There are many stars in the sky.
37. A galaxy of
Meaning: A large group of impressive things or people.
Example: A galaxy of movie stars attended the awards. / The sky was filled with a galaxy of fireworks.
Put Differently: Many movie stars attended. / Many fireworks filled the sky.
38. A truckload of
Meaning: A very large amount.
Example: Dad bought a truckload of firewood for winter. / We got a truckload of candy on Halloween.
Put Differently: Dad bought lots of firewood. / We got lots of candy.
39. A bundle of
Meaning: Many items grouped together.
Example: She gave me a bundle of comics to read. / The farmer harvested a bundle of carrots.
Put Differently: She gave me many comics. / The farmer harvested many carrots.
40. Legions of
Meaning: A very large number, especially of people.
Example: Legions of fans came to watch the baseball game. / Legions of students attended the school dance.
Put Differently: Many fans watched the baseball game. / Many students attended the dance.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity: Idioms for A Lot
Below are 10 sentences expressing feelings or situations about aging without using idioms. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms from the previous sections. Be sure to make the new sentences sound natural and keep the meaning the same.
Sentences to Rewrite:
- I got so much candy on Halloween from every house.
- We have many chores to do before our guests arrive.
- My backpack was full of books, and it felt super heavy.
- There were many people at the school fair.
- He has lots of video games in his room.
- She ate many slices of pizza at the party.
- I have many questions about the science project.
- The classroom was filled with noise and shouting.
- Dad has a big number of tools in the garage.
- My little brother has many toy cars in his box.
Answer Key:
- I got a ton of candy on Halloween from every house.
- We have a load of chores to do before our guests arrive.
- My backpack was full of books,it felt like I was carrying a mountain of stuff.
- There were a sea of people at the school fair.
- He has a truckload of video games in his room.
- She ate a pile of pizza slices at the party.
- I have a million questions about the science project.
- The classroom was filled with a storm of noise.
- Dad has a shed full of tools in the garage.
- My little brother has a bucketload of toy cars in his box.
Conclusion
Learning idioms for “a lot” can make talking and writing more interesting. Idioms help show how much of something you have or see. Using idioms helps others understand you better and makes conversations fun. Keep practicing these idioms, and soon they’ll become part of how you speak every day.
