/'menɪ; `mɛnɪ/
indef det, indef pron (used with pl ns or vs 与复数名词或动词连用)
1 a large number of people or things 大量的人或事物.
(a) (det)
*Many people agree with nationalization. 很多人都赞成国有化.
* I didn't see many houses under 50000. 我很少见到5万英镑以下的房子.
* Were there many pictures by British artists? 英国画家的作品多吗?
* How many children have you got? 你有几个孩子?
* There are too many mistakes in this essay. 这篇文章错误太多.
* I don't need many more. 我需要的不多了.
(b) (pron)
*Many of the students were from Japan. 许多学生都是日本人.
* I have some classical records but not very many. 我有一些古典音乐唱片, 但是不太多.
* Did you know many of them? 他们中很多人你都认识吗?
* How many do you want? 你要多少?
* I wouldn't have offered to water the plants if I'd known there were so many. 早知道有这么多花草需要浇水, 我就不自告奋勇了.
* He made ten mistakes in as many (ie ten) lines. 他在十行里就有十个错. =>Usage at much1 用法见much1.
2 many a a large number of 许多 (used with a sing n + sing v 与单数名词+单数动词连用)
*Many a strong man has weakened before such a challenge. 很多坚强的人面对这种困难都动摇了.
* Many a famous pop star has been ruined by drugs. 很多着名的流行音乐歌星都因使用毒品而毁了自己.
* I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower many a time. 我曾多次登上埃菲尔铁塔的塔顶.
* (saying 谚) Many a true word is spoken in jest. 笑谈之中有真话.
3 (idm 习语) be ,one, etc too `many (for sth) be one, etc more than the correct or needed number 比正确的或所需的数目多...个
*There are six of us two too many for a game of whist. 我们有六个人--要打惠斯特牌就多了两个人. a good/great many very many 许多; 很多. have had ,one too `many (infml 口) be slightly drunk 有一点醉. many's the sb/sth who/that... there are many people/things that... 有很多的...人[事物]
*Many's the promise that has been broken. 违反诺言的事经常有. (Cf 参看 Many a promise has been broken.)
* Many's the time that I heard him use those words. 有很多次我听到他使用那些词语. (Cf 参看 I heard him use those words many a time.)

determiner, pron, adj
[Language: Old English;Origin: manig]
a large number of people or things
≠ few
→more, most most, much much
　Many people have to use a car to travel to work.
　I don't have many friends.
　My mother has lived in Spain for many years.
　Do you get many visitors?
　Some of the houses have bathrooms but many do not.
　His third novel is regarded by many (=a lot of people) as his best.
many of
　Many of our staff work part-time.
　There are plenty of cafes and bars, many of them serving excellent food.
　There are so many things we disagree about.
　Not many (=only a few) people can afford my services.
　You've been reading too many romantic novels (=more than you should) .
　One job loss is one too many (=one more than is acceptable, needed etc) .
the many people/things etc
　We should like to thank the many people who have written to us offering their support.
many hundreds/thousands/millions
　military equipment worth many millions of dollars
a great many/a good many/very many
(=a very large number)
　Most of the young men went off to the war, and a great many never came back.
　It all happened a good many years ago.
how many
used to ask or talk about how large a number or quantity is
　How many sisters do you have?
　I didn't know how many tickets to buy.
as many
a number that is equal to another number
　They say the people of Los Angeles speak 12 languages and teach just as many in the schools.
as many (...) as
　Grandfather claimed to have as many medals as the general.
　There weren't as many people at the meeting as we had hoped.
in as many days/weeks/games etc
　A great trip! We visited five countries in as many days (=in five days) .
twice/three times etc as many
　The company now employs four times as many women as men.
as many as 50/1000 etc
used to emphasize how surprisingly large a number is
　As many as 10,000 civilians are thought to have fled the area.
many a sth
formalor
old-fashioned a large number of people or things
　Many a parent has had to go through this same painful process.
　I've sat here many a time (=often) and wondered what happened to her.
many's the time/day etc (that/when)
old-fashioned used to say that a particular thing has happened often
　Many's the time we've had to borrow money in order to get through the month.
have had one too manyinformal
to be drunk
　Don't pay any attention to him - he's had one too many.
many thanks
written used especially in formal letters to thank someone for something
many thanks for
　Many thanks for your letter of 17 March.
the many
formal a very large group of people, especially the public in general
　This war is another example of the few sacrificing their lives for the many.
→in as many wordsatword¹

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GRAMMAR
Many is used mainly in questions and negative sentences : Were there many people at the party? | There weren't many people at the party.
In other sentences, phrases like a lot of and plenty of are used instead : Slovakia has a lot of small towns (NOT Slovakia has many small towns).
However, many can be used in formal English : Many politicians expressed concern about the high level of defence spending.
Many can also be used after too , so , and as : There are too many mistakes in this work. | I didn't realize I had so many friends. | Bring as many people as you want.
!! Do not use 'and' after many and before an adjective : There are not many interesting Sunday newspapers (NOT There are not many and interesting Sunday newspapers).

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