ways

¹ American

[weyz] / weɪz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

way.

-ways ² American

a suffix appearing in native English adverbs.

always; sideways.

-ways British

suffix

indicating direction or manner

sideways

"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

Etymology

Origin of ways¹

Middle English weyes, Old English weges, genitive singular of weg way ¹

Origin of -ways²

Middle English; see way ¹, -s 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.

In some ways, it was the same in the early years of the World Cup.

From BBC • May 7, 2026

Read: Stuck in ‘survival spending’? 5 ways to build wealth even when the odds seem stacked against you.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

But in overlooked microbial life, especially ciliates, evolution has repeatedly found ways to edit the instructions.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2026

When Perry’s parents divorced, her mother, too arrogant to sustain a conventional job, resorted to other ways to keep the family afloat.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

No, this was a curiosity itch, which meant that it was a day for exploring, no two ways about it.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023