millions

IPA/mˈɪliənz/
KK[mˈɪljənz]IPA/mˈɪljənz/

millions — noun

1. an extremely large but unspecified amount or quantity, usually mentioned to stre

1.nounA2
Definition

an extremely large but unspecified amount or quantity, usually mentioned to stress how big or how many something is rather than to give an exact count.

Example

Sirin said millions of people watch that cooking show every Sunday night.

millions of + plural countable noun for exaggeration

Tamar has told me millions of times not to leave wet towels on the bed.

informal idiomatic 'millions of times' for emphasis

Common collocations
  • millions of people
  • millions of times
  • millions of years
  • millions of dollars
Synonyms
  • loads

    very informal; same casual exaggeration

  • tons

    informal; also works with uncountables ('tons of work')

  • countless

    more formal; emphasizes 'too many to count'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

millions of + plural noun

Usage Note

Mostly informal hyperbole. The speaker is not counting — the number is chosen to sound impressively huge. In careful writing, prefer 'many' or 'a great many' when no actual count is implied.

Common Mistakes

I have millions of work today.
I have millions of things to do today.
'millions of' must be followed by a plural countable noun, not an uncountable one like 'work'.

2. huge amounts of money, usually counted in units of one million of a currency, of

2.nounB1
Definition

huge amounts of money, usually counted in units of one million of a currency, often when describing wealth, profits, or losses.

Example

Rachid built three coffee chains and is now reportedly worth millions.

be worth + millions to describe personal wealth

The new film about a young pianist has already made millions at the box office.

make + millions for revenue or earnings

Common collocations
  • make millions
  • worth millions
  • cost millions
  • lose millions
  • millions in profit
Synonyms
  • a fortune

    singular noun phrase; same scale of wealth

  • big money

    informal; emphasizes the size rather than the count

Antonyms
  • pennies

    informal; tiny amounts of money

Grammar Patterns

make millions

worth millions

millions in + currency

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: here the noun refers specifically to money amounts (millions of dollars / pounds / euros), often left unstated because context is financial. The plural alone is read as currency in business and news contexts.

Common Mistakes

The company earned a millions last year.
The company earned millions last year.
'millions' as a money amount takes no article.

3. the numerical range starting at one million and going up to just under a billion

3.nounB1
Definition

the numerical range starting at one million and going up to just under a billion, used to describe how big a count or figure actually is.

Example

Sari said the city's nightly water use is now in the millions of litres.

in the + millions for stating a count's order of magnitude

Sales of the new phone climbed into the millions within just three days.

into the millions for growth crossing the seven-digit line

Common collocations
  • in the millions
  • into the millions
  • run into the millions
  • counted in the millions
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

in the millions

into the millions

run into millions

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (which is loose exaggeration) and sense 2 (which is specifically money). This sense gives a real magnitude estimate — the count is genuinely between roughly one million and one billion.

Common Mistakes

The crowd was in the million.
The crowd was in the millions.
the plural form is required after 'in the' to mean the seven-digit range.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In casual conversation, 'millions (of)', 'loads (of)' and 'tons (of)' all stress a huge, uncounted quantity. 'Millions' sounds the most dramatic — it pictures a number you could literally never count, so speakers use it for vivid exaggeration ('millions of times'). 'Loads' and 'tons' feel more everyday and physical, and both can attach to uncountable nouns ('tons of homework'), while 'millions' cannot. 'Countless' is one register up — neutral enough for essays or news ('countless families lost their homes'). 'A great many' is the most formal of the group and sounds slightly old-fashioned in speech. A learner reaching for emphasis in chat should say 'I've told you millions of times'; in a school report the same idea reads better as 'countless reminders were given'.

millions ↗loads ↗tons ↗countless ↗a great many

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • make millions
  • worth millions
  • millions of times
  • millions of years ago

Prepositions

  • of (millions of people)
  • in (millions in profit)

Etymology

LatinItalianOld FrenchEnglish

The singular 'million' came into English in the late 14th century from Old French 'milion', which traces back to Italian 'milione' — literally 'a great thousand', formed from Latin 'mille' (thousand) plus an augmentative ending. The plural 'millions' grew naturally from everyday counting, but by the 19th century it had also picked up its modern figurative use for 'a huge, uncounted amount', riding the same wave of hyperbolic counting language as 'dozens' and 'hundreds'.