an awful lot
idiom
informal
1
: a large amount
They lost an awful lot of money.
She does an awful lot of talking.
2
: very much
I like him an awful lot.
Examples of an awful lot in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The hosts had the puck an awful lot, especially in a second period that looked all too much like a lot of periods the Rangers played in that 4-15-0 slide.
—
Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 2 Feb. 2025
Yes, Tom gave an Amazonian tree frog a Japanese name, which explains an awful lot about Tom.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Yes, but: Reserving 80% of the new supply for the team is an awful lot.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 19 Jan. 2025
At times, the conversation sounded an awful lot like hostages recounting their monthslong trauma.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for an awful lot 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 2 Feb. 2025
Yes, Tom gave an Amazonian tree frog a Japanese name, which explains an awful lot about Tom.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Yes, but: Reserving 80% of the new supply for the team is an awful lot.
—Brady Dale, Axios, 19 Jan. 2025
At times, the conversation sounded an awful lot like hostages recounting their monthslong trauma.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for an awful lot
Dictionary Entries Near an awful lot
Cite this Entry
“An awful lot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/an%20awful%20lot. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share