all — English Dictionary

Determiner

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).

   Examples

   All contestants must register for the footrace: we've arranged numbers for them all.

   List all books of which you were the sole or co-author.

   More examples (7)

   All flesh is originally grass.

   All (the) three of my nephews adore classical music.

   Beautie alone is a ſoveraigne remedy againſt feare,griefe,and all melancholy fits; a charm,as Peter de la Seine and many other writers affirme,a banquet it ſelfe;he gives inſtance in diſcontented Menelaus that was ſo often freed by Helenas faire face: and ʰTully, 3 Tusc. cites Epicurus as a chiefe patron of this Tenent.

   In former days every tavern of repute kept such a room for its own select circle, a club, or society, of habitués, who met every evening, for a pipe and a cheerful glass. In this way all respectable burgesses, down to fifty years ago, spent their evenings.

   Pretty soon I struck into a sort of path[…]. It twisted and turned,[…]and opened out into a big clear space like a lawn. And, back of the lawn, was a big, old-fashioned house, with piazzas stretching in front of it, and all blazing with lights.

   Now, Nielsen is sending all hotel employees through EI training to help them become more open and confident, understand their own limitations and fears, and to boost their self-worth and comfort in dealing with other people.

   On the one hand, we had a scenario where, effectively, the American admiral just went "You know what, all the destroyers attack", at which point they mowed through the Japanese destroyers like a Grim Reaper through a harvest of very, very dead gorn, especially with the Brooklyns in support.

2. Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer).

   Examples

   The store is open all day and all night.

   I’ve been working on this all year.

3. Only; alone; nothing but.

   Examples

   He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice.

   I was born to speak all mirth and no matter.

4. Any.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   without all remedy

Pronoun

1. Everything.

   Examples

   Some gave all they had.

   She knows all and sees all.

   More examples (4)

   All of Jones’s maneuvers to trounce Kennedy.

   All is not well at home lately.

   Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do.

   Now all this was very fine, but not at all in keeping with the Celebrity's character as I had come to conceive it. The idea that adulation ever cloyed on him was ludicrous in itself. In fact I thought the whole story fishy, and came very near to saying so.

2. Everyone.

   Examples

   A good time was had by all (of you/us/them).

   We all enjoyed the movie.

   More examples (2)

   I've got three children, of whom all are studying medicine.

   Hey all, just a quick note as I am trying to do 46 things at once and slow down a touch all at once…

3. The only thing(s).

   Examples

   All that was left was a small pile of ash.

   We ate potatoes and ziti .... that's all.

4. Used after who, what, where, how and similar words, either without changing their meaning, or indicating that one expects that they cover more than one element, e.g. that "Who all attended?" is more than one person. (Some dialects only allow this to follow some words and not others.)

   Usage

   • India
   • Northern-Ireland
   • Scotland
   • Southern-US

   Examples

   Q. Now, then, when you started to go to stake the claims, who all went along?

   "I mean, you could have called us—collect, o'course—jes' to let us know how-all it's a-goin'."

   More examples (2)

   "Where all did he go? What exactly was his job?" Gary shrugged and produced a weak laugh. "I reckon the Middle East. Ain't that where all the oil is?"

   "Do you ever ask me what I want to see? Or ask me about where all I've gone, who all I've met, what all I've done? Never. Not for one second. And why? Because you don't give two hoops about me."

Adverb

1. Wholly; entirely; completely; totally.

   Usage

   • childish
   • emphatic
   • intensifier
   • not-comparable
   • sometimes

   Examples

   She was sitting all alone. It suddenly went all quiet. I'm all done, Mommy! I did it all by myself.

   'Tis mystery all: th'Immortal dies

   More examples (1)

   The parson, all unaware, dully pursued his calling, perched above the exquisite derision of their glances.

2. Apiece; each.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   The score was 30 all when the rain delay started.

3. So much; used with "the" and a comparative.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   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. Even; just.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • Obsolete
   • Poetic

   Examples

   All as his straying flock he fed.

   A damsel lay deploring / All on a rock reclined.

5. A quotative particle, compare like.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Examples

   She was all, “Whatever.”

   More examples (1)

   So I go to my stepdad and me and him got into a fight. And I was all "Well, I don't got to stay here," and he says, "No you don't, get out of here," and I go "I will, I hate you!" And I ran.

Noun

1. Everything that one is capable of.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable
   • with a possessive pronoun

   Examples

   She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line.

2. The totality of one's possessions.

   Usage

   • Countable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   she therefore ordered Jenny to pack up her alls and begone, for that she was determined she should not sleep that night within her walls. […] I packed up my little all as well as I could, and went off.

3. Everything in general; all that matters.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   all in all

   Examples

   I will die fighting for my people, because my people are all.

   All are one and one is all.

Conjunction

1. Although.

   Usage

   • Obsolete

   Examples

   And those two froward sisters, their faire loves, / Came with them eke, all they were wondrous loth.

Adjective

1. All gone; dead.

   Usage

   • Pennsylvania
   • dialectal

   Related words

   albeitalmightyalmostalonealreadyalrightalsoalthoughaltogetheralwaysanyeacheveryeveryoneeverythingnonesomequantifier

   Examples

   The butter is all.

Adjective

1. (quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

   Antonyms

   someno

   Examples

   we sat up all night

   ate all the food

   More examples (2)

   all men are mortal

   all parties are welcome

2. completely given to or absorbed by

   Examples

   became all attention

Adverb

1. to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent; Completely or entirely

   Synonyms

   whollyentirelycompletelytotallyaltogetherwholeright

   Examples

   he was wholly convinced

   entirely satisfied with the meal

   More examples (9)

   it was completely different from what we expected

   was completely at fault

   a totally new situation

   the directions were all wrong

   it was not altogether her fault

   an altogether new approach

   a whole new idea

   she felt right at home

   he fell right into the trap