anything

UK /ˈɛn.ɪ.θɪŋ/ US /ˈɛn.i.θɪŋ/

pron 2noun 1verb 1adv 1

Definitions

pron

Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatsoever; a thing of any kind; something or other.

I would not do it for anything.

Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language […] his clerks […] understood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce, or a ballade, or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there.

Expressing an indefinite comparison.

Perhaps it was this atmosphere of misplacedness and loneliness as much as anything which led her to speak to him one evening in early summer when the office had closed.

noun

Someone or something of importance.

How long does it take to turn you actors into good anythings?

So we tried not to talk about first or second anythings until our meeting with the rabbi.

verb

Used as a placeholder verb for any verb out of a set of related verbs.

He wasn't cooking, he wasn't sweeping, he wasn't anythinging!

–I don't want to accompany him! –You never want to anything him!

Collocations

ADJ.

mean, perfect

There's nothing mean about her; she wouldn't say anything mean to hurt someone's feelings.

VERB + ANYTHING

answer, ask, can't, didn't, doesn't, don't, expect, give

I didn't answer anything during the meeting because I was too nervous.

ANYTHING + NOUN

car, glasses, months, ugliness

I haven't seen anything ugliness in my entire life like what happened at that party.

PREP.

from, on, without

ADV.

always

I wouldn't always believe anything that people post on social media without checking the facts first.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

not much of anything

Very little; not a lot.

1971, Carol King, “So far away”, Tapestry, Ode Records One more song about movin’ along the highway / Can’t say much of anything that's new.

anything goes

There are no rules or restrictions.

In olden days a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking But now, Heaven knows, Anything goes.

if anything

Used to suggest or state tentatively that something may be the case (often the opposite of something previously implied).

The situation is, if anything, worsening rather than improving.

if you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything

Statistics can be manipulated to support any conclusion.

are you doing anything tomorrow

Asks if someone is busy tomorrow, possibly to invite them to do something if they are available. ("Tomorrow" can be replaced by other dates, such as "are you doing anything on the weekend", etc.)

Example Bank

I would not do it for anything.

Wiktionary

In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, onl

Wiktionary

How long does it take to turn you actors into good anythings?

Wiktionary

So we tried not to talk about first or second anythings until our meeting with the rabbi.

Wiktionary

He wasn't cooking, he wasn't sweeping, he wasn't anythinging!

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, anything is marked as colloquial. Watch for register when choosing this word.

Your note

not saved

0 chars