ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tens

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈtɛnz// UK //tˈɛnz// tens Slang

n. groups of ten things or people. You use this word when you want to say there are many of something, but you are not giving an exact number.

n. the plural form of the cardinal number ten, used to indicate a quantity between twenty and ninety-nine. Frequently used in the plural to suggest a significant but unspecified amount.


SIMPLE

There were tens of people waiting in line for the new phone.

CONTEXTUAL

The storm caused damage to tens of houses along the coast, leaving many families without power.

COMPLEX

While the initial report suggested only a few minor errors, a closer inspection revealed tens of inconsistencies that compromised the entire study's validity.

Synonyms
Usage

Usually appears in the plural form followed by 'of' to indicate a large, indefinite number.

Pitfall

There were ten of peopleThere were tens of peopleWhen expressing an indefinite large number, the plural 'tens' must be used with 'of', not the singular 'ten'.

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