good deal

plural good deals

1. idiomaticoftensingularusuallyLarge number, amount, or extent.

   He made a good deal of trouble for us.

   5 more examples

   We have a good deal of territory to cover.

   The audience is generally unaware of the good deal of work that goes into its creation.

   You may make a good deal of that little fact if properly worked.

   1838, Edgar Allan Poe, How to Write a Blackwood Article

   A friend suggested that, if I really wanted to have the satisfaction of taking a difficult examination, I should pass the London Matriculation. It meant a good deal of labour and much addition to my stock of general knowledge, without any extra expense worth the name. I welcomed the suggestion. But the syllabus frightened me. Latin and a modern language were compulsory!

   1825-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part I, chapter xvi

   She is popular with passengers as an all-weather vessel, but rather the reverse with yachtsmen as she has at times proved somewhat unwieldy, and certainly takes up a good deal of space in the narrow channels.

   1956 February, R. C. Riley, “The Lymington Railway and Isle of Wight Ferry”, in Railway Magazine, page 82

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see good, deal.

   I can offer you a good deal on that van.

   1 more example

   There are plenty of good deals on flights.

1. Southern USespeciallyinformalExcellent! Used to indicate approval, or agreement.

   You got everything packed? Good deal!

   3 more examples

   "You lucky duck! Say, how's Connor!!! Is he three now!!" "He's five, actually, and doing just great!" "Five!! Oh good deal! Gosh, I haven't seen him in ages! He must be getting SO BIG!"

   2002, Dale McGowan, Calling Bernadette's Bluff: A Novel, page 32

   "Hi Ted," my mom said. She handed him pillows and duffel bags. Everyone's ready." "Good deal. Let's hit the road."

   2011 April 5, Traci Foust, Nowhere Near Normal: A Memoir of OCD, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 20

   "So, they will be ready to go come Friday?" he asked. I gave him another thumbs up. […] "They will be ready." "Good deal. If anything changes, just let me know."

   2020 November 18, Kevin Johnson, Bridging the Gap, The Wild Rose Press Inc, →ISBN