any

[ en-ee ]

/ ˈɛn i /

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See synonyms for: any / anier / aniest on Thesaurus.com

adjective

one, a, an, or some; one or more without specification or identification: If you have any witnesses, produce them. Pick out any six you like.

whatever or whichever it may be: cheap at any price.

in whatever quantity or number, great or small; some: Do you have any butter?

every; all: Any schoolboy would know that. Read any books you find on the subject.

(following a negative) at all: She can't endure any criticism.

pronoun

an unspecified person or persons; anybody; anyone: He does better than any before him.

a single one or ones; an unspecified thing or things; a quantity or number: We don't have any left.

adverb

in whatever degree; to some extent; at all: Do you feel any better?

QUIZ

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Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

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Idioms about any

any which way, in any manner whatever; indifferently or carelessly: Doing your work any which way is just not good enough.

Origin of any

First recorded before 950; Middle English eni, ani, Old English ǣnig (Old English ān one + -ig-y¹)

words often confused with any

3. See some.

Words nearby any

anxiety neurosis, anxiolytic, anxious, anxiously, anxious seat, any, Anyang, anybody, any day, anyhoo, anyhow

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

How to use any in a sentence

The open-up-to-any-chapter method might, in fact, be the best approach here.
What Made Twain Famous|Nathaniel Rich|April 20, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Stalking the unexpected is “an all-year-round, any-kind-of-weather sport,” she says.
6 Secrets of Perfect Gift Giving|Lee Eisenberg|November 26, 2009|DAILY BEAST
For he's the soul of honor, Thyrsis; and he can't help how he feels about me-any more than I can help it.
Love's Pilgrimage|Upton Sinclair
I appeal to yourself, Madam, whether these sublime notions have-any thing consoling in them?
Letters To Eugenia|Paul Henri Thiry Holbach

They take their coats off anywhere and any-when, and somehow it strikes the visitor as the most symbolic thing about them.
Letters from America|Rupert Brooke
Hyphens are sometimes used in cases like the following: "A never-to-be-forgotten event," "peace-at-any-rate principles."
"Stops"|Paul Allardyce
On the fall of Richmond, and the surrender of Lee, this any-how impracticable scheme was necessarily abandoned.
The Judicial Murder of Mary E. Surratt|David Miller DeWitt

British Dictionary definitions for any

any

/ (ˈɛnɪ) /

determiner

one, some, or several, as specified, no matter how much or many, what kind or quality, etcany cheese in the cupboard is yours; you may take any clothes you like
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)take any you like

(usually used with a negative)

even the smallest amount or even oneI can't stand any noise
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)don't give her any

whatever or whichever; no matter what or whichany dictionary will do; any time of day

an indefinite or unlimited amount or number (esp in the phrases any amount or number)any number of friends

adverb

(usually used with a negative)

(foll by a comparative adjective) to even the smallest extentit isn't any worse now
not standard at allhe doesn't care any

Word Origin for any

Old English ǣnig; related to Old Frisian ēnig, Old High German einag, Old Norse einigr anyone, Latin ūnicus unique; see an 1, one

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 any

any

In addition to the idioms beginning with any

any day
any longer
any number of
any old
any port in a storm

also see:

at any rate
by any means
go to any length
in any case
under any (no) circumstances