plethora
/'pleθərə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An extreme or excessive amount of something; an overabundance: A "plethora" refers to a very large quantity or supply of something, often to the point of being more than is needed, wanted, or can be managed.
- An excessive fullness, especially of blood (medical, archaic): In older medical terminology, "plethora" described a condition of excess blood or bodily fluid.
Usage and Examples
- Noun:
- The report provided a plethora of data, making it difficult to identify the key points.
- Modern consumers are faced with a plethora of choices in the smartphone market.
- The garden produced a plethora of tomatoes this summer.
Advanced Usage
- "a plethora of": This is the standard and most common collocation. It is almost always followed by a plural noun or an uncountable noun.
- The library offers a plethora of resources for researchers.
- There is a plethora of information available online, but not all of it is reliable.
Variants and Related Words
- Plethoric (adjective): Characterized by or being in a state of plethora; excessively full or abundant.
- The author's plethoric writing style made the novel difficult to finish.
Synonyms
- Overabundance: An excessive quantity.
- Surfeit: An excessive amount of something.
- Glut: A supply of something that is much greater than can be sold or is needed.
- Excess: An amount of something that is more than necessary, permitted, or desirable.
- Embarrassment of riches: An idiom meaning so many good things that it is difficult to choose.
Antonyms
- Scarcity: A very small supply; a lack of something.
- Shortage: A situation in which there is not enough of something.
- Dearth: A scarcity or lack of something.
Notes on Meaning
- The word often carries a slightly negative or overwhelming connotation, implying that the large quantity is problematic, confusing, or wasteful. However, it can also be used in a neutral or positive sense simply to indicate a very large number.
- Its use in the specific medical sense (excess of blood) is now rare and considered archaic.
Noun
- extreme excess
- an embarrassment of riches