# lot

/ˈɫɑt/ (US) · /lˈɒt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lot
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a large amount

noun · CEFR A1

a large number or amount of something.

For teachers: a large quantity or number; frequently used in the partitive construction 'a lot of'.

- There were a lot of people at the concert last night.
- The researchers gathered a lot of data over the summer, but they still need to verify the results before publishing the study.

Usage: In the singular 'a lot', it acts as a quantifier followed by 'of' and a noun phrase.

### 2. very much

adverb · CEFR A1

to a great degree or very often.

For teachers: to a great extent or degree; often functions as an adverbial modifier of frequency or intensity.

- I travel a lot for my job, so I am rarely at home.
- The patient's condition improved a lot after the new medication was administered, much to the relief of the medical staff.

### 3. a group of people

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a group of people who are similar in some way.

For teachers: a number of people taken collectively, often implying a shared characteristic.

- The new students seem like a friendly lot.
- They are a hardworking lot in the accounting department, often staying late to ensure the books are balanced by month-end.

### 4. plot of land

noun · CEFR B1 · American English

a small piece of land, usually for building a house or parking cars.

For teachers: a distinct portion or plot of land, typically designated for a specific purpose such as construction or parking.

- We bought a small lot near the lake to build a summer cottage.
- The developer purchased the vacant lot downtown with the intention of converting it into a multi-storey parking facility.

### 5. auction item

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

an item or group of items sold together at an auction.

For teachers: an individual object or a group of objects offered for sale as a single unit, particularly in an auction context.

- The next lot for sale is a collection of rare stamps from the 1920s.
- The auctioneer opened the bidding for lot 42, a mid-century mahogany desk that attracted significant interest from local collectors.

### 6. fate or luck

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

your situation in life or what happens to you by chance.

For teachers: a person's fortune or destiny in life; the circumstances assigned to someone by chance.

- He worked hard to improve his lot in life and eventually became a manager.
- She accepted her lot with a quiet dignity that surprised those who knew the extent of her recent misfortunes.

## Examples

- I have a lot of work to do today.
- There were a lot of people at the concert last night, so it was very crowded.
- While the initial investment required a lot of capital, the long-term savings on energy costs justified the expense for the small business owner.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.