a lot of vs a great deal of

Both 'a lot of' and 'a great deal of' are correct phrases used to indicate a large quantity or amount of something. They are interchangeable in most contexts, but 'a great deal of' may sound slightly more formal than 'a lot of'. The choice between them depends on the level of formality you want to convey.

Last updated: April 08, 2024 • 255 views

a lot of

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate a large quantity or amount of something.

This phrase is informal and commonly used in everyday speech and writing to express a large quantity or amount of something.

Examples:

I have a lot of work to do.
She has a lot of friends.
There are a lot of books on the shelf.
He eats a lot of food.
We have a lot of time before the meeting.

Show examples from the web [+]

I wrote a lot of checks to a lot of companies.
So we've got a lot of blood and a lot of human body parts from different people.
He throws a lot of parties.
This beautiful love story incited a lot of jealousy.
He had a lot of money.
There was a lot of people complaining.
Probably a lot of cuties there.
Getting a lot of hugs today.
Leaves a lot of angry bidders.
I've thought about a lot of things...
You lost a lot of evidence.
That's a lot of lawyers.
Chris has a lot of responsibility.
Sorry, a lot of data floating around.
I'm sure a lot of people have.
Castle worked a lot of cases together.
Body produces a lot of abnormal lymphocytes.
And a lot of people I don't.
We busted a lot of balloons.
Brought up a lot of memories.

Alternatives:

a great deal of
a large amount of
a considerable number of
a substantial quantity of
a copious amount of

a great deal of

This phrase is correct and slightly more formal than 'a lot of'. It is commonly used to indicate a large quantity or amount of something.

This phrase is more formal than 'a lot of' and is often used in written or formal contexts to express a significant quantity or amount of something.

Examples:

She has a great deal of experience in the field.
There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the issue.
He invested a great deal of money in the project.
They put a great deal of effort into the presentation.
The company has a great deal of potential for growth.

Show examples from the web [+]

Redrawing these lines is going to cost a great deal of money.
There was a great deal of blood on the ground.
He's under a great deal of pressure.
She's lost a great deal of blood.
We will have a great deal of press in this area.
It gives you a great deal of options for your enterprise.
He always spends a great deal of time meticulously planning his kills.
You garnered a great deal of attention while representing me.
Anson Gephardt has absurdly bought himself a great deal of credibility on this topic.
You seem to accord the police a great deal of honesty.
Took me a great deal of time to even believe it.
And thus I spent a great deal of time by myself.
Your father spent a great deal of time investigating the meaning of Shelburne.
Your lies have caused me a great deal of embarrassment.
Debian provides a great deal of feedback upstream.
Sometimes these distributions can attract a great deal of publicity.
But for this, I charge a great deal of money.
Saturday needs a great deal of preparation.
But I have a great deal of experience with pathogens.
There's a great deal of paperwork and lawyering to be done and...

Alternatives:

a lot of
a large amount of
a considerable number of
a substantial quantity of
a copious amount of

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