any
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.
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.
in whatever degree; to some extent; at all: Do you feel any better?
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
1confusables note For any
Words Nearby any
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.
Stalking the unexpected is “an all-year-round, any-kind-of-weather sport,” she says.
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 SinclairI appeal to yourself, Madam, whether these sublime notions have-any thing consoling in them?
Letters To Eugenia | Paul Henri Thiry HolbachThey 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 AllardyceOn 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
/ (ˈɛnɪ) /
one, some, or several, as specified, no matter how much or many, what kind or quality, etc: any 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 one: I can't stand any noise
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural): don't give her any
whatever or whichever; no matter what or which: any 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
(usually used with a negative)
(foll by a comparative adjective) to even the smallest extent: it isn't any worse now
not standard at all: he doesn't care any
Origin of any
1Collins 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
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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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