Standard Lemma guide

anyway

adv · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɛniweɪ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: EH1 N IY0 W EY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Regardless; anyhow.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: conjunctive, not-comparable

Examples

  • He didn't enjoy washing his car, but it was so dirty that he did it anyway.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement. See anyhow and at least.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • I don't think that's true. I haven't found any evidence, anyway.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adv

Meaning 3

Used to indicate a change of subject.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adv

Meaning 4

Used at the end of a question for emphasis, or to direct the conversation to something of more broad importance (compare with more to the point).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adv

Meaning 5

In any way.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adverb

Meaning 6

used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Anyhow, he is dead now
  • I think they're asleep; anyhow, they're quiet
  • I don't know what happened to it; anyway, it's gone
  • anyway, there is another factor to consider
  • I don't know how it started; in any case, there was a brief scuffle
  • in any event, the government faced a serious protest
  • but at any rate he got a knighthood for it

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: anyhow, anyways, in any case, at any rate, in any event

Antonyms: none provided

7

adverb

Meaning 7

in any way whatsoever

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they came anyhow they could
  • get it done anyway you can

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: anyhow

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From any + way.

Across languages

Translations

233 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَلَى كُلِّ حَال (ʕalā kulli ḥāl) — regardless
  • Arabic: عَلَى الْعُمُوم (ʕalā l-ʕomūm) — regardless
  • Arabic: كِده كِده (keda keda) — regardless
  • Arabic: على كل حال (ʕalā kil-ḥāl, ʕa kil-ḥāl) — regardless
  • Arabic: مع هيك (maʕ hēk) — regardless
  • Arabic: هيك هيك (hēk hēk) — regardless
  • Azerbaijani: yenə də — regardless
  • Catalan: malgrat tot — regardless
  • Catalan: tanmateix — regardless
  • Chinese Cantonese: 都 — regardless
  • Chinese Cantonese: 照 (ziu3) — regardless
  • Chinese Mandarin: 照樣 /照样 (zhàoyàng) — regardless
  • Dutch: toch — regardless
  • Dutch: desondanks — regardless
  • Dutch: trots dat — regardless
  • Esperanto: malgraŭe — regardless
  • Esperanto: tamen — regardless
  • Esperanto: spite tion — regardless
  • Finnish: kuitenkin — regardless
  • Finnish: siitä huolimatta — regardless
  • French: quand même — regardless
  • French: de toute façon — regardless
  • French: malgré tout — regardless
  • Galician: mesmo así — regardless
  • Galician: aínda así — regardless
  • Galician: de calquera maneira — regardless
  • Galician: de todas as maneiras — regardless
  • German: trotzdem — regardless
  • German: ohnehin — regardless
  • Greek: ούτως ή άλλως (oútos í állos) — regardless
  • Greek: όπως και να έχει (ópos kai na échei) — regardless
  • Greek: εν πάση περιπτώσει (en pási periptósei) — regardless
  • Greek: έτσι κι αλλιώς (étsi ki alliós) — regardless
  • Greek: πάντως (pántos) — regardless
  • Ancient Greek: ὅμως (hómōs) — regardless
  • Hebrew: בכל מקרה (bekhól mikré) — regardless
  • Hebrew: בכל זאת (bekhól zót) — regardless
  • Hebrew: מכל מקום — regardless
  • Hebrew: בכל אופן (bekhól ófen) — regardless
  • Hebrew: גם ככה (gam kácha) — regardless
  • Hungarian: azért — regardless
  • Hungarian: attól még — regardless
  • Hungarian: mégis — regardless
  • Hungarian: mégiscsak — regardless
  • Hungarian: ennek ellenére — regardless
  • Hungarian: ettől függetlenül — regardless
  • Hungarian: mindenesetre — regardless
  • Icelandic: allavega — regardless
  • Italian: senza riguardo — regardless
  • Italian: comunque — regardless
  • Italian: tanto — regardless
  • Malayalam: എന്നിട്ടും (enniṭṭuṁ) — regardless
  • Maltese: xorta waħda — regardless
  • Māori: me aha koa — regardless
  • Norwegian: i alle fall — regardless
  • Norwegian: i hvert fall — regardless
  • Persian: در هر حال (dar har hâl) — regardless
  • Polish: i tak — regardless
  • Portuguese: mesmo assim — regardless
  • Portuguese: de qualquer forma — regardless
  • Portuguese: de qualquer maneira — regardless
  • Portuguese: de todo modo — regardless
  • Romanian: oricum — regardless
  • Romanian: chiar și-așa — regardless
  • Romanian: și-așa — regardless
  • Russian: несмотря́ на [что́-либо] — regardless
  • Russian: всё равно́ (vsjo ravnó) — regardless
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù — regardless
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù no co-dheth — regardless
  • Spanish: aun así — regardless
  • Spanish: a pesar de todo — regardless
  • Spanish: de todos modos — regardless
  • Spanish: de todas formas — regardless
  • Spanish: comoquiera — regardless
  • Spanish: de cualquier manera — regardless
  • Spanish: de todas maneras — regardless
  • Spanish: igual — regardless
  • Swedish: ändå — regardless
  • Swedish: i alla fall — regardless
  • Tày: bạt tầư — regardless
  • Turkish: yine de — regardless
  • Vietnamese: bất chấp — regardless
  • Welsh: beth bynnag — regardless
  • Welsh: pa un bynnag — regardless
  • Welsh: ta beth — regardless
  • Welsh: ta p'un i — regardless
  • Welsh: ta waeth — regardless
  • Welsh: sut bynnag — regardless
  • Arabic: عَلَى أَيُّ حَالٍ (ʕalā ʔayyu ḥālin) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Arabic: كِده كِده (keda keda) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Arabic: على كل حال (ʕalā kil-ḥāl, ʕa kil-ḥāl) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Arabic: هيك هيك (hēk hēk) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Azerbaijani: onsuz da — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Catalan: de qualsevol manera — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Catalan: en fi — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Chinese Cantonese: 橫𠶧 /横𠶧 (waang4 dim6) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Chinese Mandarin: 反正 (fǎnzheng) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無論如何 /无论如何 (wúlùnrúhé) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Czech: v každém případě — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Dutch: in elk geval — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Dutch: in ieder geval — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Dutch: hoe dan ook — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Dutch: tenminste — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Esperanto: almenaŭ — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Finnish: ainakaan — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • French: en tout cas — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • French: de toute façon — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • French: d'ailleurs — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • French: de toute manière — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • German: auf jeden Fall — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • German: jedenfalls — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Greek: εν πάση περιπτώσει (en pási periptósei) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Greek: τέλος πάντων (télos pánton) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Greek: πάντως (pántos) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hebrew: בכל מקרה (bekhól mikré) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hebrew: בכל זאת (bekhól zót) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: amúgy is — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: amúgy sem — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: különben is — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: különben sem — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: egyébként is — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: egyébként sem — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Hungarian: mindenesetre — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Irish: ar aon chaoi — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Italian: in ogni caso — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Japanese: とにかく (tonikaku) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Japanese: どうせ (dōse) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Japanese: 何しろ (nanishiro) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Japanese: いずれにしても (izure ni shite mo) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Korean: 아무튼 (amuteun) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Korean: 어쨌든 (eojjaetdeun) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Malayalam: എന്തായാലും (entāyāluṁ) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Norwegian: uansett — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Portuguese: mesmo — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Romanian: oricum — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Romanian: și-așa — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Russian: в любо́м слу́чае (v ljubóm slúčaje) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Russian: так и́ли и́на́че (tak íli ínáče) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Russian: во вся́ком слу́чае (vo vsjákom slúčaje) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù no co-dheth — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Spanish: "bueno, por lo menos" — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Swedish: i alla fall — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Swedish: ändå — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Swedish: hur som helst — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Turkish: zaten — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Turkish: her hâlükârda — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Ukrainian: так чи іна́кше (tak čy inákše) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Ukrainian: в уся́кому ра́зі (v usjákomu rázi) — used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
  • Asturian: falando de too un poco — used to indicate change of subject
  • Azerbaijani: nəisə — used to indicate change of subject
  • Danish: hvorom alting er — used to indicate change of subject
  • Dutch: in elk geval — used to indicate change of subject
  • Dutch: in ieder geval — used to indicate change of subject
  • Dutch: maar goed — used to indicate change of subject
  • Dutch: hoe dan ook — used to indicate change of subject
  • Esperanto: kiel ajn (estas) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Esperanto: ĉiaokaze — used to indicate change of subject
  • Finnish: miten vain — used to indicate change of subject
  • Finnish: joka tapauksessa — used to indicate change of subject
  • Finnish: se sikseen — used to indicate change of subject
  • French: bref — used to indicate change of subject
  • German: wie auch immer — used to indicate change of subject
  • Greek: τέλος πάντων (télos pánton) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Hindi: ख़ैर (xair) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Hungarian: amúgy — used to indicate change of subject
  • Hungarian: egyébként — used to indicate change of subject
  • Hungarian: szóval — used to indicate change of subject
  • Hungarian: mindenesetre — used to indicate change of subject
  • Italian: comunque — used to indicate change of subject
  • Italian: ad ogni modo — used to indicate change of subject
  • Japanese: とにかく (tonikaku) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Korean: 그런데 (geureonde) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Latin: ceterum — used to indicate change of subject
  • Persian: در هر حال (dar har hâl) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Portuguese: de qualquer modo — used to indicate change of subject
  • Romanian: oricum — used to indicate change of subject
  • Russian: кста́ти (kstáti) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Russian: ла́дно (ládno) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù — used to indicate change of subject
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù no co-dheth — used to indicate change of subject
  • Serbo-Croatian: uglavnom — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: pero bueno — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: pues nada — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: en fin — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: o lo que sea — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: o lo que fuese / fuera — used to indicate change of subject
  • Spanish: o lo que fuere — used to indicate change of subject
  • Swedish: hur som helst — used to indicate change of subject
  • Swedish: i alla fall — used to indicate change of subject
  • Swedish: aja — used to indicate change of subject
  • Turkish: neyse — used to indicate change of subject
  • Turkish: her neyse — used to indicate change of subject
  • Urdu: خیر (xair) — used to indicate change of subject
  • Arabic: بِأَيَّةِ طَرِيقَة (biʔayyati ṭarīqa) — in any way
  • Arabic: عَلَى كُلِّ حَال (ʕalā kulli ḥāl) — in any way
  • Belarusian: у любым выпадку (u ljubym vypadku) — in any way
  • Chinese Cantonese: 點都要 /点都要 (dim2 dou1 jiu3) — in any way
  • Chinese Cantonese: 係都要 /系都要 (hai6 dou1 jiu3) — in any way
  • Chinese Mandarin: 無論如何 /无论如何 (wúlùnrúhé) — in any way
  • Dutch: hoe dan ook — in any way
  • Esperanto: iel ajn — in any way
  • Finnish: joka tapauksessa — in any way
  • French: quoi qu'il en soit — in any way
  • French: d'ailleurs — in any way
  • German: wie auch immer — in any way
  • Hebrew: בכל מקרה (bekhól mikré) — in any way
  • Hebrew: בכל זאת (bekhól zót) — in any way
  • Hindi: वैसे भी (vaise bhī) — in any way
  • Hungarian: bárhogy — in any way
  • Hungarian: bárhogyan — in any way
  • Hungarian: akárhogy — in any way
  • Hungarian: akárhogyan — in any way
  • Hungarian: bármely/bármilyen módon/formában — in any way
  • Italian: comunque — in any way
  • Italian: in ogni modo — in any way
  • Japanese: とにかく (tonikaku) — in any way
  • Korean: 아무튼 (amuteun) — in any way
  • Macedonian: секако (sekako) — in any way
  • Malay: apa-apapun — in any way
  • Portuguese: de qualquer forma — in any way
  • Romanian: oricum — in any way
  • Russian: в любо́м слу́чае (v ljubóm slúčaje) — in any way
  • Scottish Gaelic: co-dhiù — in any way
  • Spanish: de cualquier modo — in any way
  • Spanish: de alguna forma — in any way
  • Spanish: de alguna manera — in any way
  • Swedish: hursomhelst — in any way
  • Turkish: neyse — in any way
  • Ukrainian: в будь-якому разі (v budʹ-jakomu razi) — in any way
  • Ukrainian: в будь-якому випадку (v budʹ-jakomu vypadku) — in any way
  • Ukrainian: в уся́кому ра́зі (v usjákomu rázi) — in any way
  • Spanish: y además — used at the end of a question for emphasis, or to direct the conversation to something of more broad importance