all

all [ ɔl ] function word, quantifier ***

All can be used in the following ways:

as a determiner (followed by an uncountable or plural noun):

They had given up all hope.

All children deserve encouragement.

as a predeterminer (followed by a word such as the, this, or his ):

I want to hear all the details.

We lost all our money.

as a pronoun:

All was quiet in the street outside. (before a relative clause):

I've done all that I can to help her. (followed by of):

I want to invite all of you. (after the subject of a sentence):

These buildings all belong to the college. (following the pronoun object of a sentence):

Pauline said goodbye to them all. (after a modal or auxiliary verb or the verb to be ):

We can all relax.

The tickets had all been sold.

as an adverb (before an adjective, adverb, preposition, or conjunction):

Bernard was all alone in a strange city.

They forgot all about everything else.

1. ) the whole amount of something

a ) the whole amount or every part of something:

There's no cake left. They've eaten it all.

Have you spent all your money?

all of: We need to make sure that all of our equipment has been checked.

b ) the whole amount of a period of time:

Sally had spent all her life working for others.

all day/night/week/year etc.: I've been awake all night worrying.

all the time (=very often or continuously): The situation is changing all the time.

She needs to have someone looking after her all the time.

all through: It kept raining all through March.

c ) the whole of a group:

entertainment for all the family

d ) the whole of a situation or problem:

You can't blame it all on David.

Good luck! I hope all goes well.

e ) used in expressions for referring to every part of a place or surface:

all over/around/across/along etc.: We've had messages of support from all around the world.

Oh, look, you spilled it all over the carpet.

2. ) every one every person or thing:

We all enjoyed the party.

No one can solve all these problems.

All seven astronauts were killed in the explosion.

Over 90% of all traffic accidents result from human error.

all of: I want all of you to listen carefully.

not all: Not all lawyers have large incomes.

3. ) used for emphasis

a ) used for emphasizing that something is completely true:

I'm all in favor of giving children more freedom.

Now we're going to be late, and it's all because of you.

all over (=completely finished): Divorce is a very complicated business I'll be glad when it's all over.

b ) INFORMAL used for emphasizing how strong or complete a feeling or quality is:

He started to get all excited when I told him Cynthia was coming.

c ) all at once or all of a sudden very suddenly:

All of a sudden there was a knock at the door.

d ) all of something INFORMAL used for emphasizing how small an amount is:

It took me all of ten seconds to realize what was going on.

e ) all the more/better etc even more/better etc than before:

I enjoy playing tennis, and if they're willing to pay me for it well, all the better!

f ) all too easy/few/often etc used for emphasizing that something is too easy/that there are too few/that something happens too often etc:

It's all too easy to borrow money that you can't pay back.

g ) first/best/most etc of all used for emphasizing that you mean before anything else/better than anything else/more than anything else etc:

First of all, I want to welcome our guest speaker.

His music was the thing he loved most of all.

h ) in all probability/likelihood/honesty/seriousness etc FORMAL used for emphasizing that something is likely/that you are being honest etc:

In all likelihood, Mr. Crawford will die before his wife.

I must admit, in all honesty, that progress has not been as fast as we had hoped.

4. ) when there is nothing more

a ) used for saying that there is nothing more except what you are mentioning:

All I have left is four dollars.

All we can do is sit and wait (=we cannot do anything more).

b ) that's all SPOKEN used for saying that there is nothing more involved than what you have mentioned:

I wasn't interfering. I was just trying to make suggestions that's all.

5. ) when the scores are equal in a game used for showing the score in a game when each of the two players or teams has scored an equal number of points:

Sampras won the next point, bringing the score to 30 all.

all but

almost:

Mendel's research was all but forgotten.

all in BRITISH

1. ) so tired that you cannot do anything more

2. ) if the price of something is all in, it includes everything

all in all MAINLY SPOKEN

used for showing that you are considering every aspect of something:

All in all, I think it has been a very successful conference.

all out

having none to sell:

We had some Beanie Babies last week but now we're all out.

all out of: We're all out of the pink ones.

...and all

1. ) used for showing that everything or everyone else is included:

Barney was in his best clothes silk tie, diamond pin and all.

2. ) SPOKEN used for showing that you are considering the whole of a situation:

I thought we'd go for a ride, with it being nice weather and all.

be all... SPOKEN

used for telling someone what other people have said, especially when it was said in an unusual or emotional way:

He's all, I don't have to listen to you! and she's all, Yes, you do!

be all smiles/sweetness/charm etc

used for saying that a person or situation shows a lot of a particular quality or type of behavior:

She was all smiles when the new boss came in.

be all that AMERICAN SPOKEN

to be very impressive, fashionable, or sexually attractive

be all there INFORMAL

if you say someone is all there, you mean they are intelligent

be not all there INFORMAL

if you say that someone is not all there, you mean they lack intelligence or they are crazy

for all someone knows/cares MAINLY SPOKEN

used for saying that even if something was true, a particular person would not know/care about it:

He might be a murderer, for all we know.

I might as well be dead, for all you care.

for all something

despite something:

For all its faults, Houston is a city that you grow to love.

go all out

to use all your energy, strength, and determination in order to achieve something:

Brazil is going all out to protect its markets.

in all or all told

when the whole amount or number is included:

In all, there are over 120 languages spoken in the city's schools.

not all that good/bad/big etc or not as good/bad/big etc as all that

used for saying that something is not very good/bad/big etc:

I didn't finish the book it wasn't all that interesting.

of all things/people/places MAINLY SPOKEN

used for expressing surprise that a particular thing/person/place is the one involved in something:

And now she's chosen to live in Alaska, of all places!

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