anything
Americanpronoun
noun
adverb
idioms
-
anything goes, any type of conduct, dress, speech, etc., is considered acceptable or valid or is likely to be encountered and tolerated.
That resort is a place where anything goes!
-
anything but, in no degree or respect; not in the least.
The plans were anything but definite.
pronoun
noun
adverb
-
in any way
he wasn't anything like his father
-
by no means; not in the least
she was anything but happy
-
(intensifier; usually euphemistic)
he ran like anything
Etymology
Origin of anything
before 900; Middle English ani thing, eni thing, Old English ǣnig thing. See any, thing 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But I mean, anything to get on base, whether it’s a single, homer, walk, whatever it is, just try to keep going with it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
A second crisis hit Flavio's campaign when his stepmother, Michelle Bolsonaro, posted an Instagram video saying he had "disrespected me and mistreated me ... he said I didn't understand anything about politics."
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Almost anything can be made into a soup — even fresh, chopped lettuce.
From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026
“I had more bills than I had just about anything except friends,” Helm said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
“It looks to me like there’s a lot of regret here. But there’s a lot of love, too. You can get through anything when you’ve still got that.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
