WordGarden.iomuchness
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /mˈʌtʃnəs/
US
- /mˈʌtʃnəs/
Meanings
Noun
great quantity or degree; abundance
Beyond the definition
"Muchness" is an uncommon noun that usually points to a lot of something: a large amount, abundance, or fullness. In everyday English, though, most people meet it in the phrase "much of a muchness," which means that several things are so similar that the differences do not matter much. The word has an old, slightly playful sound, which is one reason it often feels literary rather than plain and modern.
Outside that fixed phrase, writers may use it more freely to suggest richness, fullness, or an almost overflowing quality. Lewis Carroll helped give the word a whimsical life, so it can sometimes sound imaginative or strange. Still, the safer meaning is not "inner spark" but simple abundance, or, in the idiom, near sameness.
"Muchness" is a rare and slightly old-fashioned noun built from "much." At its core, it means a great quantity, abundance, or fullness. If something has "muchness," it has a lot of whatever quality or substance is being talked about. In that broad sense, the word can suggest plenty, richness, or excess, and this is the most direct meaning to keep in mind.
For most learners, the most useful thing to know is the idiom "much of a muchness." In that expression, the meaning shifts. It does not mean abundance. Instead, it means that two or more things are very similar, often so similar that choosing between them hardly matters: two hotels may be much of a muchness, or several answers may seem much of a muchness. This idiom is far more common than the noun used on its own.
The word also has a literary shadow because Lewis Carroll used it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which helped make it sound playful and odd. Because of that history, some modern readers connect it with imagination, personality, or vivid feeling. That tone is real, but it is better treated as a flavor of the word rather than its main dictionary sense. So if you meet "muchness" by itself, think first of abundance or fullness; if you meet it in "much of a muchness," think of near sameness.
Examples
- 1
Similar choices
The two apartments are much of a muchness, so I would choose the cheaper one.
- Phrasemuch of a muchness
very similar, with no important difference
- 2
Overwhelming experience
After three days at the festival, the muchness of it all started to exhaust me.
- Phrasethe muchness of it all
the feeling that there is too much to take in
- 3
Personal energy
She seemed quieter after the move, as if she had lost some of her old muchness.
- Usagesomeone's muchness
their energy, confidence, or special character; often literary or playful
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- muchnessnoun