MANY

[determiner], [pronoun] - a large number (of); a lot (of)Many people would disagree with your ideas.Rachel was at the party with her many admirers.How many students are there in each class?Not many people have heard of him.There aren't very many weekends between now and Christmas.The demand for the new type of CD player has been so great that the shop hasn't many (of them) left.I've met him so many times and I still can't remember his name!I don't want to invite too many people because it's quite a small flat.There are too many people chasing too few jobs.If there are only five of us going to the concert, then I've booked one too many seats (= one more than the necessary number).If there were as many women as there are men in parliament, the situation would be very different.As many as (= The surprisingly large number of) 6 000 people may have been infected with the disease.There are already twelve bottles of wine, so if I buy as many again (= another twelve bottles) we'll have enough.A good/great many (= A large number of the) people who voted for her in the last election will not be doing so this time.She'd had five children in as many (= in the same number of) years and decided it was enough.USAGE: 'Many' is used with countable nouns. Compare much.I've told you many a time (= many times) not to ride your bike on the pavement.(humorous) Many's the hour I've spent (= I have spent many hours) by the telephone just waiting in case he should call.(humorous) Many's the man who's (= Many men have) come out of her office trembling.If someone says something in so many words, they say it directly and clearly, using exactly the words described.I told him in so many words that I thought he'd failed completely."Did he say he was unhappy with his job?" "Well, not in so many words, but that was the impression I got."It was her birthday so I wished her many happy returns (of the day) (= happy birthday).(informal) If you have had one too many, you have drunk too much alcohol.Many-sided means having many sides or a lot of different features or characteristics.a many-sided objectA many-sided character, he wrote poetry and was a keen cricketer and cook. [before noun](saying) 'There's many a slip between/twixt cup and lip' means that you cannot be certain about what the result of something will be before it happens.