What is the difference between "a cornucopia of" and "a lot of"?

Can we use a cornucopia of the same way we use a lot of?

From what I can see in Cambridge Dictionary, a cornucopia of refers to amount/supply. Nevertheless, my research shows it appears in the context of countables as well. (eg. cornucopia of options/videos/constraints, etc.)

• Having said this, how flexible can we get with this phrase?
• Could it be used interchangeably with a lot of?
• Would we lose points if we do so during Cambridge English exams?
• Is it an obscure term or is it okay to use it in a casual conversation?

Solution 1:

This is a cornucopia:

The term derives from a Latin word for "horn of plenty". In some interpretations the "horn" magically refills as it is emptied. The metaphorical meaning is essentially "an almost limitless supply", with "a wide variety of things" sometimes implied.

Thus, "a lot" and "a cornucopia" have the same general meaning, in some contexts. But different implications -- "a cornucopia" means more "an abundance" than simply "a lot", and may carry an implication of great variety as well.

Solution 2:

Can we use a cornucopia of the same way we use a lot of?

The short answer is No.

English words often have synonyms that offer a choice of a word or phrase to use in a particular sentence.

But rarely if ever are there two words or phrases that can simply be swapped in all sentences, that is, interchanged.

It is likely that a carefully judged test of English language skills would result in a loss of points for not knowing the nuances of a word—its connotations, its appropriate register, its subtleties.

As the answer with the image shows, a cornucopia is a richness or abundance of a variety of things, most typically from a harvest.

Skillful authors may use the word metaphorically: a cornucopia of research opportunities resulting from the coronavirus epidemic. But a cornucopia of garbage or of people would reveal ignorance about the word.

This is not an obscure word, but if you so wonder, the people with whom you’re speaking are either not going to know it or are going to assume you’re trying to impress them (showing off).

Consider—look up—plethora, and the phrase “a plethora of.” This too refers to “a lot of”, but is frequently used for blood.