adv · det · intj · noun · particle · pron · 22 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.
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
New-York-City:glottalizedRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian, British, Southern, Standard:/wɔt/
South-Asia:/wɦɔʈ/
India:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
wätfather-bother merger
US, sometimes:/wɑt/
General-South-African:/wɑt/
General-South-African:/wɜt/
South-Asia:/wɦɑʈ/
hwŏtwithout the wine–whine merger
/ʍɒt/without the wine–whine merger
Scotland:/ʍɔt/
wŭtwine–whine merger
/wʌt/wine–whine merger
Singapore:[wɐ(ː)t̚˨˩]as a particle;wine–whine merger
US, stressed:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US, unstressed:flappedRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US, unstressed:glottalizedRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
hwŭtwithout the wine–whine merger
/ʍʌt/without the wine–whine merger
US, stressed:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada, dialectal:/hɒt/
homophone: hot
CMU ARPABET:W AH1 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:HH W AH1 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In what way; to what extent.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: interrogative, not-comparable
Examples
What does it matter?
What do you care?
It must be, what, twenty-five years since we first met.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adv
Meaning 2
Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.
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
3
det
Meaning 3
Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: interrogative
Examples
What colour are you going to use?
What time is it?
What kind of car is that?
Did you buy the groceries? — With what money? We barely have any left.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
det
Meaning 4
Which.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: indirect, interrogative
Examples
I wonder what colour he is going to use.
I know what colour I am going to use.
That depends on what answer is received.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
det
Meaning 5
Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: relative
Examples
He seems to have lost what sense he had.
What money I earn is soon spent.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
det
Meaning 6
Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This shows what beauty there is in nature.
You know what nonsense she talks.
I found out what a liar he is.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
det
Meaning 7
Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.
Used to form exclamations indicating that something is remarkable, in either a good or bad way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
What nonsense!
Wow! What a speech.
What beautiful children you have.
With what passion she sings!
Little Red Riding Hood, traditional folk tale “Oh Granny, what big eyes you have,” said Little Red Riding Hood.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: such
Antonyms: none provided
8
intj
Meaning 8
An expression of surprise or disbelief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
What! That’s amazing!
wait this song is so good whattt
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
intj
Meaning 9
What do you want? An abrupt, usually unfriendly enquiry as to what a person desires.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
What? I'm busy.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
intj
Meaning 10
Clipping of what do you say?, used as a type of tag question to emphasise a statement and invite agreement, often rhetorically.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
What did you say? I beg your pardon? This usage is often considered impolite, with the more polite "Pardon?" or "Excuse me?" preferred.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
— Could I have some of those aarrrrrr mmmm ... — What?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
intj
Meaning 12
Indicating a guess or approximation, or a pause to try to recall information.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
I must have been, what, about five years old.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
Something; thing; stuff.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
Examples
2012, "We Are Both", season 2, episode 2 of Once Upon a Time Regina: What are you? Rumplestiltskin: What? What? What? My, my, what a rude question! I am not a what.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
particle
Meaning 16
Emphasizes the truth of an assertion made to contradict an evidently false assumption held by the listener.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Manglish, Singlish
Examples
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
— Sian sia, nearby here don’t have library. — The National Library is a five-minute walk from here what, no meh?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
particle
Meaning 17
Used to invite agreement or acknowledgment when something is assumed to be straightforward or already obvious to begin with; similar in function to “right?” and “as you know”.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Manglish, Singlish
Examples
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
If it doesn’t get sunlight, it won’t grow what, so you should consider moving it closer to the window.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: mah
Antonyms: none provided
18
particle
Meaning 18
Used after a direct assertion to reinforce a disagreeing opinion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Manglish, Singlish
Examples
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
The lava cakes are not that bad what.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: leh
Antonyms: none provided
19
pron
Meaning 19
Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: interrogative
Examples
Hammer in that nail —What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.
What is your name?
My kids set the neighbor's cat on fire. —They did what?
Ask them what they want.
What d’you say that made him so angry?
I’ve broken the exhaust manifold gasket. - You’ve broken the what?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
20
pron
Meaning 20
That which; those that; the thing(s) that.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: fused relative
Examples
He knows what he wants and what to do to get it.
What is amazing is his boundless energy.
And, what's even worse, I have to work on Sunday too.
What is astonishing, she doesn't want the job. -What’s even more staggering, neither of her friends does either.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
21
pron
Meaning 21
Anything that; all that; whatever.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: fused relative
Examples
I will do what I can to help you.
What I'll do is, I'll phone you to let you know.
What is mine is yours.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
22
pron
Meaning 22
That; which; who.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dialectal, nonstandard, relative
Examples
Look! It's that bloke again what was 'ere yesterday!
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kw- Proto-Indo-European *kwís Proto-Germanic *hwat Proto-West Germanic *hwat Old English hwæt Middle English what English what From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kwód (“what”), neuter form of *kwós (“who”). Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“what”), Swedish vad (“what”), Norwegian Nynorsk kva (“what”), Icelandic hvað (“what”), Latin quod (“what, which”). Its use as a particle of contradiction or objection in colloquial Singaporean English is analogous to Cantonese 喎 /㖞 (wo3, etymology 2, sense 3). It is possible that this was historically reinforced by the dated use of what as a sentence-final question tag in British English.
Across languages
Translations
624 source translations are retained for this English entry.
