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Glite Dictionary
💰 A large amount 💬 Very much
a great deal

a great deal

354 1.8
Shows that something is done a lot
  • idiom
translation icon : mucho
  • That helped a great deal.
  • learn a great deal
  • a great deal more
  • know a great deal

Light scatters a great deal from ionized material.

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Examples

  • And we have also learned a great deal from this.

  • So I think that's given us all a great deal to think about now.

  • And so it, it could matter a great deal how, how good the future is for them.

  • Little moments like this did a great deal to bring these people down to earth.

    Dad Saves America

  • I'm sorry, but this church means a great deal to him.

    Don't Look Now (1973)

  • Both Maria and Jennifer reported having learned a great deal from the experience.

    Academic text (2011)

  • I've learned a great deal from him.

    The Laureate (2023)

  • It would mean a great deal to me if you would join me.

    The Matador (2005)

  • Lars was over two centuries old, and he had seen a great deal in that time.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • She learned a great deal about science during her university studies.

Synonyms

a lot
vsa great deal
∞ 1.0

To a very great degree

is similar but sounds a bit more formal than this phrase
much
vsa great deal
∞ 1.0

To a large degree, very or a lot

matches that general degree but is more idiomatic than this word
extremely
vsa great deal
∞ 1.0

To a very great degree

captures much or a lot but not the full extreme sense
greatly
vsa great deal
350 1.0

By a very large amount

shares that intensity but is more conversational than this term
quite a bit
vsa great deal
  • Informal
235 2.8

A fairly large amount

means the same quantity but in a more neutral expression
considerably
vsa great deal
144 3.4

By a large amount

expresses the same largeness but sounds less formal than this adverb
tremendously
vsa great deal
129 3.1

To a very large degree

means a lot but without the same extreme emphasis
substantially
vsa great deal
129 4.9

To a large degree

is similar but fits everyday speech more than formal writing
enormously
vsa great deal
128 3.5

To a very large degree

shows the same idea but with less overwhelming intensity
vastly
vsa great deal
103 3.0

By a very large amount

indicates large extent but is less hyperbolic than this term
hugely
vsa great deal
84 2.1

To a very great degree

expresses large extent but with milder intensity than this word
a good deal
vsa great deal
81 2.4

To a great degree

shares the same magnitude but is more modern or neutral in tone
immensely
vsa great deal
70 3.5

To a very large degree

states large extent but with more restrained intensity
massively
vsa great deal
47 3.4

To a great degree

conveys great extent but less forceful or dramatic
abundantly
vsa great deal
32 3.5

In large amounts that are more than enough

focuses on extent or intensity rather than physical quantity
in spades
vsa great deal
  • Informal
14 8.0

To a very great degree

expresses the same strong degree but in standard, non-idiomatic language
to a great extent
vsa great deal
11 3.5

To a large degree

is the same idea but slightly more conversational in tone

Antonyms

a little
∞ 1.0

A small amount, not very much

little
∞ 1.0

To a very small degree

How Much

a great deal
354 1.8
some
∞ 1.0
a little
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

a great deal positive

Morphology

a + great + deal

The phrase is a compositional intensifier: 'great' (very large) combined with 'deal' (an amount or occurrence) yields 'a large amount' or 'a large bargain', so a learner who knows both words can infer the meaning. The bargain sense ('saved a great deal') is a straightforward extension of 'a large amount' (of savings), making the expression broadly transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

A great deal comes from the idea of getting a large share; think of the word deal as a portion or pile you are given and great as very big. So it means 'very much' or 'a lot'.