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Massive vs Much - What's the difference?

massive | much |

As an adjective massive

is of or pertaining to a large mass; weighty, heavy, or bulky.

As a noun massive

is a homogeneous mass of rock, not layered and without an obvious crystal structure.

As a determiner much is

large, great.

As an adverb much is

to a great extent.

As a pronoun much is

a large amount or great extent.

massive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Of or pertaining to a large mass; weighty, heavy, or bulky.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1959, author=(Georgette Heyer), title=(The Unknown Ajax), chapter=1
  • , passage=But Richmond
  • Much larger than normal.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-21, author= Chico Harlan
  • , volume=189, issue=2, page=30, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Japan pockets the subsidy […] , passage=Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion."}}
  • Of great significance or import; overwhelming.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The attack of the MOOCs , passage=Since the launch early last year of […] two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations. University brands built in some cases over centuries have been forced to contemplate the possibility that information technology will rapidly make their existing business model obsolete.}}
  • (label) Of a specimen not exhibiting crystal form.
  • Of particularly exceptional quality or value; awesome.
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, year=1995, date=November 29, author=harry knowles, newsgroup=rec.arts.sf.movies
  • , title= INDEPENDENCE DAY-----------MASSIVE COOL SPOILERS DON'T OPEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW , passage=Ok true believers here is the low down of massive coolness.}}
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, year=1998, date=February 13, author=David Farrar, newsgroup=Re: Te Papa
  • , title= nz.reg.wellington.general , passage=Heaps excited about it - I'm planning for a massive day.}}
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, year=1998, date=July 2, author=super disco dan, newsgroup=alt.music.beastie-boys
  • , title= Deasties rock the Hurricane- 06/21/98 , passage=saw the beasties last week in GERMANY at a massive little party called the Hurricane Festival outside Hamburg and here's how it all shook down
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, year=2003, date=June 11, author=Glenn Wendyhouse, newsgroup=uk.people.gothic
  • , title= WENDYHOUSE June 21st , passage=OPEN THROUGH THE SUMMER: We are on the 3rd Saturday of the month, remain at the same venue, at the same price, at the same times and always give you a massive night out to remember (unless you've drunk too much bargain University booze!).}}
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, year=2010, date=July 30, author=Robbie, newsgroup=uk.music.charts
  • , title= Re: Survivable album chart from 2001 , passage=I own this one, bought it because I liked Slide. The album is quite dull. They were massive back in the day}}
  • Possessing mass.
  • Synonyms

    * (of or pertaining to a large mass) bulky, heavy, hefty, substantial, weighty * (much larger than normal) colossal, enormous, gargantuan, giant, gigantic, great, huge, mahoosive (slang), titanic * (of great significance or import) consequential, meaningful, overwhelming, significant, weighty * (of grandeur ) awesome, super, excellent, stupendous

    Antonyms

    * (of or pertaining to a large mass) insubstantial, light * (much larger than normal) dwarf, little, microscopic, midget, minuscule, pint-sized, tiny, wee * (of great significance or import) inconsequential, insignificant, piddling, trifling, trivial, unimportant * (of grandeur ) lame, stale, disappointing, crappy * (of having a positive mass) massless

    Derived terms

    * mahoosive (slang) * massively * massiveness * MOOC (massive open online course)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (mineralogy) A homogeneous mass of rock, not layered and without an obvious crystal structure.
  • karst massives in western Georgia

    Anagrams

    * ----

    much

    English

    (wikipedia much)

    Determiner

  • (label) Large, great.
  • *:
  • *:Thenne launcelot vnbarred the dore / and with his lyfte hand he held it open a lytel / so that but one man myghte come in attones / and soo there came strydyng a good knyghte a moche man and large / and his name was Colgreuaunce / of Gore / and he with a swerd strake at syr launcelot my?tely and he put asyde the stroke
  • A large amount of.
  • *1816 , (Jane Austen), :
  • *:As it was, he did nothing with much zeal, but sport; and his time was otherwise trifled away, without benefit from books or anything else.
  • *2011 , "Wisconsin and wider", The Economist , 24 February:
  • *:Unless matters take a nastier turn, neither side has much incentive to compromise.
  • *:
  • *:ye shall not nede to seke hym soo ferre sayd the Kynge / for as I here saye sir Launcelot will abyde me and yow in the Ioyous gard / and moche peple draweth vnto hym as I here saye
  • *1526 , Bible , tr. (William Tyndale), Matthew VI:
  • *:When Jesus was come downe from the mountayne, moch people folowed him.
  • *1897 , (Bram Stoker), (Dracula) :
  • *:There wasn't much people about that day.
  • *1977 , (Bob Marley), So Much Things to Say :
  • *:They got so much' things to say right now, they got so ' much things to say.
  • Usage notes

    * is now generally used with uncountable nouns. The equivalent used with countable nouns is many. In positive contexts, much'' is widely avoided: ''I have a lot of''' money'' instead of ''I have '''much''' money''. There are some exceptions to this, however: ''I have '''much hope for the future. * Unlike many determiners, .)

    Synonyms

    * (informal) a great deal of, (informal) a lot of

    Antonyms

    * little

    Derived terms

    * how much * overmuch

    Adverb

  • To a great extent.
  • *
  • They stayed together during three dances, went out on to the terrace, explored wherever they were permitted to explore, paid two visits to the buffet, and enjoyed themselves much in the same way as if they had been school-children surreptitiously breaking loose from an assembly of grown-ups.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2011, date=October 20, author=Michael da Silva, work=BBC Sport
  • , title= Stoke 3-0 Macc Tel-Aviv , passage=Tangling with Ziv, Cameron caught him with a flailing elbow, causing the Israeli defender to go down a little easily. However, the referee was in no doubt, much to the displeasure of the home fans.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=52, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= The new masters and commanders , passage=From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much . Those entering it are greeted by wire fences, walls dating back to colonial times and security posts. For mariners leaving the port after lonely nights on the high seas, the delights of the B52 Night Club and Stallion Pub lie a stumble away.}}
  • Often; frequently.
  • Usage notes

    * As a verb modifier in positive contexts, must be modified by another adverb: I like fish very much''''', ''I like fish '''so much''''', etc. but not *''I like fish '''much . * As a comparative intensifier, many'' can be used instead of ''much'' if it modifies the comparative form of ''many'', i.e. ''more'' with a countable noun: ''many''' more people'' but '''''much more snow .

    Synonyms

    * (to a great extent) (informal) a great deal, (informal) a lot, greatly, highly, (informal) loads, plenty , very much

    Antonyms

    * (to a great extent) less, little, few

    Pronoun

    (English Pronouns)
  • A large amount or great extent.
  • From those to whom much''' has been given '''much is expected.

    Statistics

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