there

[ thair; unstressed ther ]

See synonyms for: there therer therest on Thesaurus.com

adverb

in or at that place (opposed to here): She is there now.
at that point in an action, speech, etc.: He stopped there for applause.

in that matter, particular, or respect: His anger was justified there.
into or to that place; thither: We went there last year.
(used by way of calling attention to something or someone): There they go.
in or at that place where you are: Well, hi there.

pronoun

(used to introduce a sentence or clause in which the verb comes before its subject or has no complement): There is no hope.

noun

that place: He comes from there, too.
that point, state, condition, etc.: I'll introduce you to her, but you're on your own from there on.

adjective

(used for emphasis, especially after a noun modified by a demonstrative adjective): Ask that man there.

interjection

(used to express satisfaction, relief, encouragement, approval, consolation, etc.): There! It's done.

Idioms about there

been there, done that, Informal. (used to say that you have experienced or are familiar with something and now think it is boring or of little worth): A big house in the suburbs? Been there, done that.
there is / are, (used to indicate the existence or occurrence of something or someone): There is some bark missing near the base of the tree.However, there are still ways to be healthy even while having a busy schedule.

Origin of there

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adverb), Old English thǣr, thēr, cognate with Dutch daar, Old High German dār; akin to Gothic, Old Norse thar; cf. that

Grammar notes for there

7. The verb following there is singular or plural according to the number of the subject that follows the verb: There is a message for you. There are patients in the waiting room. With compound subjects in which all the coordinate words are singular, a singular verb often occurs, although the plural may also be used: There was (or were ) a horse and a cow in the pasture. When a compound subject contains both singular and plural words, the verb usually agrees with the subject closest to the verb, although a plural verb sometimes occurs regardless, especially if the compound has more than two elements: There were staff meetings and a press conference daily. There was (or were ) a glass, two plates, two cups, and a teapot on the shelf.

usage note For there

10. It is nonstandard usage to place there between a demonstrative adjective and the noun it modifies: that there car. The same is true of here: these here nails. Placed after the noun, both there and here are entirely standard: that car there; these nails here.

Words that may be confused with there

their, there , they're

Other definitions for -there (2 of 2)

-there

a combining form meaning “wild animal, beast,” used in the formation of compound words, usually denoting extinct mammals, as adaptions of zoological taxa ending in -therium or -theria: baluchithere.

Origin of -there

<New Latin -therium (singular), -theria (plural) <Greek thēríon, derivative of thḗr beast of prey; akin to feral¹, fierce

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use there in a sentence

Is there/will there be plans to have Jamaica compete in the Winter Olympics again?
Jamaican Bobsledder Tal Stokes Takes to Reddit and Reveals ‘Cool Runnings’ Was Mostly Made Up | | October 17, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
there are just as many covetable skirts and delicate silk tap shorts as there are thorn-cupped bras and barely-there g-strings.
We Want: Fleur Du Mal | Misty White Sidell | December 4, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
She tends to go toward the Lady Gaga deconstruction, Alexander McQueen type of just out-there kind of costume.
RuPaul Picks Favorite All-Star Drag Race Looks | Maria Elena Fernandez | October 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Last Friday morning, reams of documents filled the room-there were more than 800 binders of them packed against one wall alone.
Oligarch v. Oligarch: London's Courts Attract Litigious Tycoons | Mike Giglio | July 23, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
The there-and-back-again mission was a crucial steppingstone for the company on its path to sending a manned craft into the ether.
11 Cool Facts About SpaceX: Dragon, Microsoft, Investments & More | Matthew DeLuca | May 23, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

The door banged shut behind him and I heard him at the foot of the stairs roaring "Ho-ho-there-ho!"
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson Lloyd
We are introduced successively to the Palestinian, the Assimilator, and the Neither-here-nor-there.
The History of Yiddish Literature in the Nineteenth Century | Leo Wiener
Emendations on the here-a-little-there-a-little plan, while they do no harm, do little good.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 85, November, 1864 | Various
Swinburne dismisses him in two lines: Maximilian is a good-natured, neither here-nor-there kind of youth.
The Life of Ludwig van Beethoven, Volume I (of 3) | Alexander Wheelock Thayer
there-about many small coffee growers are settled, and several hundred thousand bags of the beans pass through annually.
All About Coffee | William H. Ukers

British Dictionary definitions for there

there

/ (ðɛə) /

adverb

in, at, or to that place, point, case, or respect: we never go there; I'm afraid I disagree with you there

pronoun

used as a grammatical subject with some verbs, esp be, when the true subject is an indefinite or mass noun phrase following the verb as complement: there is a girl in that office; there doesn't seem to be any water left

adjective

(postpositive) who or which is in that place or position: that boy there did it
all there (predicative) having his or her wits about him or her; of normal intelligence

so there an exclamation that usually follows a declaration of refusal or defiance: you can't have any more, so there!
there and then or then and there on the spot; immediately; instantly
there it is that is the state of affairs
there you are
- an expression used when handing a person something requested or desired
- an exclamation of triumph: there you are, I knew that would happen!

noun

that place: near there; from there

interjection

an expression of sympathy, as in consoling a child

Origin of there

Old English thǣr; related to Old Frisian thēr, Old Saxon, Old High German thār, Old Norse, Gothic thar

usage For there

In correct usage, the verb should agree with the number of the subject in such constructions as there is a man waiting and there are several people waiting. However, where the subject is compound, it is common in speech to use the singular as in there's a police car and an ambulance outside

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with there

there

In addition to the idioms beginning with there

there but for the grace of God go I

also see:

all there
get there
hang in (there)
here and there
here, there, and everywhere
in there pitching
neither here nor there
no smoke without (where there's smoke there's) fire
nothing to it (there's)
somebody up there loves me
take it from here (there)
then and there
where there's a will
while there's life there's hope

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