WordGarden.iomony
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
- /ˈmoʊni/
Meanings
Determiner
a large number of people or things
Pronoun
a large number of people or things
Adjective
large in number; numerous
Beyond the definition
"Mony" is mainly a Scottish form of "many." It means a large number of people or things. You are most likely to meet it in Scots writing, songs, poems, or older texts, where someone may speak of "mony years," "mony folk," or "mony thanks." It is not standard in modern everyday English, but it still makes perfect sense in Scottish language contexts and in older literature.
Once upon a time, if you opened a Scottish poem, ballad, or old letter, you might come across "mony" and pause for a second. It does not mean cash or wealth. In most real uses, it is simply a Scots form of "many," used for a large number of people, things, times, or years. A writer might mention "mony men," "mony days," or "mony a time" to give the line a local voice and rhythm.
The word belongs chiefly to Scots and to older regional writing, so you would not usually use it in standard modern English unless you were quoting, writing in dialect, or trying to keep a Scottish tone. That is why it often appears in songs, stories, and historical texts rather than in news reports or school essays.
So the next time you see "mony," think not of coins in a pocket but of abundance: many people, many moments, many miles. It is a small word with a strong regional history, and once you know it, older Scottish English becomes much easier to follow.
Examples
- 1
Scots speech
Mony people in the village still speak Scots at home.
- Usage
mainly Scots
- 2
Problem solving
There are mony ways to solve the problem.
- 3
Repeated past
Mony a time, she had thought about leaving and starting over.
- Phrasemony a time
many times
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- mony