hundreds of

USAGE SUMMARY

'hundreds of' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a large, unspecified amount of something, e.g. "Hundreds of people attended the festival."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

— Hundreds of horses.

The New York Times

Hundreds of big bangs.

The New Yorker

Hundreds of thousands homeless.

The New York Times

Baking hundreds of cupcakes.

The New York Times

"Spells hundreds of words".

The New Yorker

"Many hundreds of thousands.

Independent

Q: Hundreds of thousands?

The New York Times - Sports

Hundreds of them.

The New York Times - Magazine

Hundreds of wigs.

The New York Times - Magazine

EOIN Hundreds of tracks.

The New York Times - Arts

Hundreds of times, actually.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hundreds of" to describe countable items when the exact number is not important or known. For example, "Hundreds of people attended the conference".

Common error

Avoid using "hundreds of" with uncountable nouns. It is correct to say "hundreds of books" but incorrect to say "hundreds of water". Instead, use "a lot of" or "a large amount of" for uncountable nouns.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hundreds of" functions as a determiner used to quantify countable nouns. It indicates a relatively large, unspecified quantity more significant than 'dozens' but less than 'thousands'. As Ludwig's examples show, it's used in various contexts to suggest a notable but not precisely defined number.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Formal & Business

6%

Science

6%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academic Sources

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hundreds of" is a versatile determiner phrase used to indicate a quantity between 100 and 999. It is considered grammatically correct and very common in everyday language, particularly in news and media contexts. When using "hundreds of", ensure it is followed by a plural noun and avoid using it when precision is required or with uncountable nouns. Ludwig AI confirms its accuracy and provides numerous examples. Consider alternatives like "dozens of" or "scores of" for smaller quantities, or "thousands of" for larger ones.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

dozens of

Specifies a smaller quantity than "hundreds of".

scores of

Similar to 'dozens of', it indicates a quantity less than "hundreds of".

a multitude of

More formal and emphasizes a large, unspecified number.

numerous

A single-word adjective meaning 'many', less specific than "hundreds of".

many

A general term for a large quantity, less precise than "hundreds of".

a great number of

More formal and emphasizes the size of the quantity.

a large amount of

Used for uncountable nouns, whereas "hundreds of" is used for countable nouns.

several

Indicates a smaller, indefinite quantity, typically more than two but less than many.

tons of

Informal and emphasizes a very large, unspecified quantity.

loads of

Informal and emphasizes a considerable quantity.

FAQs

How can I use "hundreds of" in a sentence?

Use "hundreds of" to indicate a large, unspecified quantity of countable items. For example, "Hundreds of people attended the event", or "The library has "hundreds of books" on the subject".

What are some alternatives to saying "hundreds of"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives such as "dozens of", "scores of", "numerous", or "a multitude of".

Is it correct to say "hundreds of" followed by a singular noun?

No, "hundreds of" should always be followed by a plural noun. For example, it's correct to say "hundreds of cars" but not "hundreds of car".

What's the difference between "hundreds of" and "thousands of"?

"Hundreds of" refers to a quantity between 100 and 999, while "thousands of" refers to a quantity between 1,000 and 9,999. The choice depends on the approximate number you want to convey.