Definition of 'all'

Word Frequency

all

(ɔːl )

1. predeterminer

You use all to indicate that you are referring to the whole of a particular group or thing or to everyone or everything of a particular kind.

...the restaurant that Hugh and all his friends go to.

He lost all his money at a blackjack table in Las Vegas.

All is also a determiner.

There is built-in storage space in all bedrooms.

85 percent of all American households owe money on mortgages.

Germany, like all great nations, will not change its personality.

He was passionate about all literature.

All is also a quantifier.

He was told to pack up all of his letters and personal belongings.

He was talking to all of us.

All is also a pronoun.

We produce our own hair-care products, all based on herbal recipes.

I'd spent all I had, every last penny.

All is also an emphasizing pronoun.

Milk, oily fish and egg all contain vitamin D.

We all admire professionalism and dedication.

2. determiner

You use all to refer to the whole of a particular period of time.

George had to cut grass all afternoon.

She's been feeling bad all week.

All is also a predeterminer.

She's worked all her life.

He was looking at me all the time.

All is also a quantifier.

He spent all of that afternoon polishing the silver.

Two-thirds of the women interviewed think about food a lot or all of the time.

3. pronoun

You use all to refer to a situation or to life in general.

All is silent on the island now.

As you'll have read in our news pages, all has not been well of late.

4. adverb

You use all to emphasize that something is completely true, or happens everywhere or always, or on every occasion.

[emphasis]

He loves animals and he knows all about them.

Parts for the aircraft will be made all round the world.

I got scared and I ran and left her all alone.

He was doing it all by himself.

All around he could hear people calling out his name.

Synonyms: completely, totally, fully, entirely More Synonyms of all

5. pronoun

You use all at the beginning of a clause when you are emphasizing that something is the only thing that is important.

[emphasis]

He said all that remained was to agree to a time and venue.

All you ever want to do is go shopping!

All I could say was, 'I'm sorry'.

6. determiner

You use all in expressions such as in all sincerity and in all probability to emphasize that you are being sincere or that something is very likely.

[emphasis]

In all fairness he had to admit that she was neither dishonest nor lazy.

If the pool was open, we'd in all probability still be swimming in it.

In all seriousness, there is nothing else I can do.

7. adverb [v-link ADV adj-graded]

You can use all in front of an adjective when you want to emphasize a quality that affects someone or something temporarily.

[informal, spoken, emphasis]

You've gone all chatty.

He came over all dizzy when he stood up.

8. adverb

You use all when you are talking about an equal score in a game. For example, if the score is three all, both players or teams have three points.

all the more

10. pronoun

You use all in expressions such as seen it all and done it all to emphasize that someone has had a lot of experience of something.

[emphasis]

You can't have it all - life is about choice, time is limited.

Here's a man who has seen it all, tasted and heard it all.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

at all

17.

all but

18.

all but

19.

for all

20.

for all

21.

give one's all/put one's all

22.

in all

23.

all in

24.

all in

25.

of all

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

Word Frequency

all in British

(ɔːl )

determiner

the whole quantity or amount of; totality of; every one of a class

all the rice

all of us are mortal

(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)

all of it is nice

all are welcome

(in combination with a noun used as a modifier)

an all-ticket match

an all-amateur tournament

an all-night sitting

the greatest possible

in all earnestness

any whatever

to lose all hope of recovery

beyond all doubt

4. above all

5. after all

6. all along

7. all but

8. all of

9. all over

10. all in

11. all in all

12. all that

13. all the

14. all too

15. and all

16. and all that

17. as all that

18. at all

19. be all for

20. be all that

21. for all

22. for all that

23. in all

adverb

24.

(in scores of games) apiece; each

the score at half time was three all

25.

completely

all alone

26. be all …

noun

27. (preceded by my, your, his, etc)

(one's) complete effort or interest

to give your all

you are my all

28.

totality or whole

▶ Related prefixes: , pan-, panto-

Word origin of 'all'

Old English eall; related to Old High German al, Old Norse allr, Gothic alls all

Word Frequency

all in American

(ɔl ; ôl)

adjective

the whole extent or quantity of

all New England, all the gold

the entire number of

all the men went

every one of

all men must eat

the greatest possible; as much as possible

said in all sincerity

any; any whatever

true beyond all question

every

now used only in such phrases as all manner of men

alone; only

life is not all pleasure

seeming to be nothing but

he was all arms and legs

9. US, Dialectal

completely used up, consumed, over with, etc.

the bread is all

pronoun

10. [with pl. v.]

everyone

all must die

11. [with pl. v.]

every one

all of us are here; all of the pencils are sharpened

12.

everything; the whole thing, matter, situation, etc.

all is over between them

13.

every part or bit

all of it is gone

noun

14.

one's whole property, effort, etc.

gave his all

15.

a totality; whole

adverb

16.

wholly; entirely; altogether; quite

all worn out, riding all through the night

17.

apiece

a score of thirty all

Idioms:

all the better (or worse)

all the farther (or closer, etc.)

Word origin of 'all'

ME al, all < OE eal < IE *al-no-s < base *al-, *ol-, beyond, exceeding > L ultra

Example sentences containing 'all'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…

The courtyard stayed packed with a few hundred people salsa dancing all night. The Sun (2016)We all want to get something big and we are working for it. The Sun (2016)Tell me my mum and dad are going to be all right. Times, Sunday Times (2016)This all seems incredibly frivolous and sounds suspiciously like a waste of time. Times, Sunday Times (2016)He claims he uses all his products. Times, Sunday Times (2016)Who said all political careers end in failure? Times, Sunday Times (2016)When you see scenes like that at the end it makes it all worthwhile. Times, Sunday Times (2017)We try to give all the best to our players but sometimes it is difficult. The Sun (2016)The current economic crisis gives us all an opportunity to rethink our priorities. Times, Sunday Times (2009)The thin plastic bottles are used by almost all drinks manufacturers. Times, Sunday Times (2016)The only way to escape it completely is to live in the desert all alone. Christianity Today (2000)We all want to know that the tests are to the same standard. Times, Sunday Times (2012)When you have this list you may already have a spot it could all possibly go. Times, Sunday Times (2009)With hindsight it all seemed more vengeful than petulant. Times, Sunday Times (2007)Which technology series uses all nine letters? The Sun (2014)Yet some people still insist all political careers end in failure. The Sun (2016)Says we all need to make time to smell the roses. Times, Sunday Times (2006)Why the hell play it then when all these people have extra time drinking. The Sun (2013)All four also demand damages for a decrease in the value of their properties. The Sun (2012)Within no time at all he was panting and sweating. Times, Sunday Times (2012)Yet they all seem cheery about their arrangements. Times, Sunday Times (2016)We are all going in our own directions and all do completely different things. The Sun (2009)We all know that and are aware of it. The Sun (2010)We shall all have to put our shoulder to the wheel. Times, Sunday Times (2016)They cannot be altogether surprised if people now lump them all together in impotent fury. Times, Sunday Times (2009)What she had said about hoping that he would not come was all hypocrisy. William Thackeray Vanity Fair (1837)Wonder if my change is all right. Judith Flanders Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain (2006)We all have this great power of belief in us. Vera Peiffer POSITIVE THINKING: Everything you have always known about positive thinking but were afraid to put into practice (2001)He made all here last time and could get an easy lead again. The Sun (2011)Would you like to turn all bitter and sour foods into delicious desserts? Times, Sunday Times (2008)