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Many vs Vary - What's the difference?

many | vary |

As nouns the difference between many and vary

is that many is a multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd while vary is (obsolete) alteration; change.

As a determiner many

is an indefinite large number of.

As a pronoun many

is a collective mass of people.

As a verb vary is

to change with time or a similar parameter.

many

English

(wikipedia many)

Determiner

  • An indefinite large number of.
  • :
  • *Bible, (w) xvii.4:
  • *:Thou shalt be a father of many nations.
  • *
  • *:The big houses, and there are a good many of them, lie for the most part in what may be called by courtesy the valleys. You catch a glimpse of them sometimes at a little distance from the [railway] line, which seems to have shown some ingenuity in avoiding them,.
  • *{{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-06, volume=408, issue=8843, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The rise of smart beta , passage=Investors face a quandary. Cash offers a return of virtually zero in many developed countries; government-bond yields may have risen in recent weeks but they are still unattractive. Equities have suffered two big bear markets since 2000 and are wobbling again. It is hardly surprising that pension funds, insurers and endowments are searching for new sources of return.}}

    Usage notes

    Many'' is used with plural nouns only (except in the combination many a). Its singular counterpart is much, which is used with uncountable nouns. ''Many'' and ''much merge in the comparison forms, which are more and most for both determiners.

    Antonyms

    * few

    Pronoun

    (English Pronouns)
  • A collective mass of people.
  • An indefinite large number of people or things.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1922, author=(Ben Travers)
  • , chapter=4, title= A Cuckoo in the Nest , passage=By some paradoxical evolution rancour and intolerance have been established in the vanguard of primitive Christianity. Mrs. Spoker, in common with many of the stricter disciples of righteousness, was as inclement in demeanour as she was cadaverous in aspect.}}

    Antonyms

    * few

    Derived terms

    * how many * many a * so many

    Quotations

    * 1611 — (King James Version of the Bible), 1:1 *: Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us...

    Noun

    (manies)
  • A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd.
  • A considerable number.
  • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----

    vary

    English

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To change with time or a similar parameter.
  • He varies his magic tricks so as to minimize the possibility that any given audience member will see the same trick twice.
  • To institute a change in, from a current state; to modify.
  • You should vary your diet. Eating just bread will do you harm in the end.
  • * Waller
  • Gods, that never change their state, / Vary oft their love and hate.
  • * Dryden
  • We are to vary the customs according to the time and country where the scene of action lies.
  • Not to remain constant: to change with time or a similar parameter.
  • His mood varies by the hour.
    The sine function varies between &
  • x2212;1 and 1.
  • * Addison
  • While fear and anger, with alternate grace, / Pant in her breast, and vary in her face.
  • (of the members of a group) To display differences.
  • ''The sprouting tendency of potatoes varies between cultivars, years and places of growing.
  • To be or act different from the usual.
  • I'm not comfortable with 3.Nc3 in the Caro-Kann, so I decided to vary and play exd5.
  • To make of different kinds; to make different from one another; to diversity; to variegate.
  • * Sir Thomas Browne
  • God hath varied their inclinations.
  • * Milton
  • God hath here / Varied his bounty so with new delights.
  • (music) To embellish; to change fancifully; to present under new aspects, as of form, key, measure, etc. See variation .
  • (obsolete) To disagree; to be at variance or in dissension.
  • * Webster (1623)
  • the rich jewel which we vary for

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) Alteration; change.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Anagrams

    * ----