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Must vs Much - What's the difference?

must | much |

As a verb must

is to do with certainty; indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate

As a noun must

is something that is mandatory or required.

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.

must

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at .

Verb

(head)
  • to do with certainty; (indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate)
    • If it has rained all day, it must be very wet outside.
    You picked one of two, and it wasn't the first: it must have been the second.
    The children must be asleep by now.
    • You must arrive in class on time. — the requirement is an imperative
    This door handle must be rotated fully. — the requirement is a directive
    Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Bible, Acts 9:6)
    Quotations
    * 1936 , , More Poems , IX, lines 3-6 *: Forth I wander, forth I must , *: And drink of life again. *: Forth I must by hedgerow bowers *: To look at the leaves uncurled * 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit *: We must away ere break of day *: To seek the pale enchanted gold. * 1968 Fritz Leiber, Swords in the Mist *: Whereupon while one patched or napped, the other must stand guard against inquisitive two- and three-headed dragons and even an occasional monocephalic.
    Usage notes
    * (sense) Compare with weaker auxiliary verb (should), indicating a strong probability of the predicate's execution. * (sense) Compare with weaker auxiliary verb (should), indicating mere intent for the predicate's execution; and stronger auxiliary verb (will), indicating that the negative consequence will be unusually severe. * The past tense of "must" is also "must"; however, this usage is almost always literary (see Fritz Leiber quotation above). The past sense is usually conveyed by (had to). It is possible to use (be bound to) for the past also. For this reason, (have to) and (be bound to) are also used as alternatives to (must) in the present and future. * The principal verb, if easily supplied, may be omitted. In modern usage this is mainly literary (see Housman and Tolkien quotations above). * (term) is unusual in its negation. (term) still expresses a definite certainty or requirement, with the predicate negated. (term), on the other hand, is negated in the usual manner. Compare: :: You must not' read that book. (''It '''is''' necessary that you '''not read that book. ) :: You need not' read that book. (''It '''is not necessary that you read that book. ) * The second person singular no longer adds "-est" (as it did in Old English).
    See also
    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is mandatory or required
    • If you'll be out all day, a map is a must .
    Synonyms
    * imperative
    Antonyms
    * no-no

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) must, most, from (etyl) mustum

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The property of being stale or musty
  • Something that exhibits the property of being stale or musty
  • Fruit juice that will ferment or has fermented, usually grapes
  • * Longfellow
    • No fermenting must fills the deep vats.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make musty.
  • To become musty.
    • External links
    * (wikipedia "must")

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) .

    Noun

  • A time during which male elephants exhibit increased levels of sexual activity and aggressiveness (also musth)
  • * 1936 , George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant'' essay in magazine ''New Writing
    • It was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone ‘must’.

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 200 English basic words English auxiliary verbs English defective verbs English irregular verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    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

    *

    Anagrams

    * 200 English basic words English degree adverbs English locatives 1000 English basic words ----