all
//ɔːl//
Definitions
1.Wholly; entirely; completely; totally.
- The parson, all unaware, dully pursued his calling, perched above the exquisite derision of their glances.
2.Apiece; each.
- The score was 30 all when the rain delay started.
3.So much; used with "the" and a comparative.
- Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets.
- If he leave the company, I'll have to work all the harder.
4.A quotative particle, compare like.
- In spite of all his efforts, he failed the exam.
- Jews, Christians and Moslems, we all are children of God.
- All I have is one book.
1.Every individual or anything of the given class, with no exceptions (the noun or noun phrase denoting the class must be plural or uncountable).
- All (the) three of my nephews adore classical music.
- List all books of which you were the sole or co-author.
- All contestants must register for the footrace: we've arranged numbers for them all.
2.Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer).
- I’ve been working on this all year.
- The store is open all day and all night.
3.Only; alone; nothing but.
- I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.
- He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice.
1.Everything.
- All is not well at home lately.
- All of Jones’s maneuvers to trounce Kennedy.
- Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #43
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Uncommon
Related words
Etymology
From Middle English all, from Old English eall, from Proto-West Germanic *all, from Proto-Germanic *allaz, of uncertain origin but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- (“all”).
Cognates