plethora

Intermediatezipf 3.24

Pronunciation

/ˈplɛθərə/(PLETH-uh-ruh)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

过多；过剩

Definition

A large or excessive amount of something.

Word family

  • plethoric/plɪˈθɒrɪk/(adj)过多的

Collocations

  • a plethora of options
  • a plethora of information
  • a plethora of choices
  • a plethora of evidence

Examples

  1. 1.The internet offers a plethora of resources for language learners. (abundance)
  2. 2.A plethora of regulations has made starting a business increasingly difficult. (excess)

Synonyms

  • abundance/əˈbʌndəns/— more than enough, positive
  • surfeit/ˈsɜːfɪt/— too much
  • excess/ɪkˈsɛs/— more than needed

Etymology

from Greek "plethora" = fullness — "plethein" = to be full — overfullness