English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
A whole raft of
Meaning
The idiom "a whole raft of" means a large number of something, often implying that it is more than just a few, but not an exact or specific amount. It can also suggest a group or collection of items that are related to each other in some way. For example, "I have a whole raft of ideas for the project."
Usage
- I forgot to bring my umbrella and now I'm soaked. It started pouring rain just as I left the office. A whole raft of people are drenched outside.
- The restaurant had a whole raft of appetizers on offer, but we were too full for anything more than a salad.
- After our meeting with the client, we went over to their office and found a whole raft of problems that needed fixing.
- When I opened my email, I saw a whole raft of emails from my boss asking me to work on different projects.
- The car was filled with a whole raft of passengers, including my family, friends, and colleagues. We had a lot of fun on the road.
Roots and History
The phrase "a whole raft" likely originated from the idea of a group of people or items being together in a large quantity, similar to how a group of people would be together on a raft. The idiom became more popularized in English during the 18th century and has since become a common expression in contemporary language.
Synonyms in English
- A whole lot of
- Quite a few
- A good number of
- Several
- Numerous
Synonyms in other languages
- 多数(Chinese) - This idiom means "most" or "the majority" and is similar to the English phrase "a whole lot of."
- 海量(Japanese) - This idiom means "large quantity" and can be used to describe a large number of something.
- 많이(Korean) - This idiom means "a lot" or "many" and is similar to the English phrase "quite a few."
- 몇 가지(Spanish) - This idiom means "several" or "a few" and can be used to describe a small number of items.
- 무수한(Arabic) - This idiom means "unlimited" or "boundless" and is similar to the English phrase "numerous."