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Definition of all adverb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

all

adverb
 
 
/ɔːl/
 
/ɔːl/
Idioms
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  1.  
     completely
    • She was dressed all in white.
    • He lives all alone.
    • The coffee went all over my skirt.
  2. (informal) very
    • She was all excited.
    • Now don't get all upset about it.
  3. all too… used to show that something is more than you would like
    • I'm all too aware of the problems.
    • The end of the trip came all too soon.
  4. (in sports and games) to each side
    • The score was four all.
    5. Word OriginOld English all, eall, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch al and German all.
Idioms
all along
  1. all the time; from the beginning
    • I realized it was in my pocket all along.
all around (North American English)
(British English all round)
  1. in every way; in all respects
    • a good performance all around
  2. for each person
    • She bought drinks all around.
all the better, harder, more, etc.
  1. so much better, harder, etc.
    • We'll have to work all the harder with two people off sick.
    • Her difficult childhood makes her achievements all the more remarkable.
    Topics Successc1
all but
  1. almost
    • The party was all but over when we arrived.
    • It was all but impossible to read his writing.
  2. everything or everyone except something/somebody
    • All but one of the plates were damaged.
all in
  1. physically tired synonym exhausted
    • At the end of the race he felt all in.
  2. (British English) including everything
    • The trip cost £750 all in.
    3. see also all-in
all of something
  1. (often ironic) used to emphasize an amount, a size, etc. usually when it is very small
    • It must be all of 100 metres to the car!
all over
  1. everywhere
    • We looked all over for the ring.
  2. (informal) what you would expect of the person mentioned
    • That sounds like my sister all over.
all round (British English)
(North American English all around)
  1. in every way; in all respects
    • a good performance all round
  2. for each person
    • She bought drinks all round.
(not) all there
  1. (informal, usually offensive) (not) having a healthy mind; (not) thinking clearly
    • My dog behaves very oddly at times—I don't think he's quite all there.
be all about somebody/something
  1. used to say what the most important aspect of something is
    • It's all about money these days.
be all for something/for doing something
  1. (informal) to believe strongly that something should be done
    • They're all for saving money where they can.
be all over somebody
  1. (informal, often disapproving) to show a lot of interest in or enthusiasm for somebody
    • He was all over her at the party.
be all that
  1. (US English, informal) to be very attractive or impressive
    • He thinks he's all that.
be all up (with somebody)
  1. (old-fashioned, informal) to be the end for somebody
    • It looks as though it's all up with us now (= we are ruined, have no further chances, etc.).
See all in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee all in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: all

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