at all
Idioms-
In any way or manner, as in Is she able to sing at all?
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To any extent, as in Was she at all surprised?
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For any reason, as in Why bother at all?
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In the slightest degree, under any circumstances, as in She simply refused to walk at all . This construction often occurs in the negative, as in He was not at all frightened . All four senses of this phrase date from the mid-1300s.
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.
He said that, over time, it appeared that operations became less and less targeted until the Aug. 14 operation at the Newsom news conference, which had no targets at all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
The high court’s decisions on these issues have a short written explanation if any at all.
From Slate ● Jul. 29, 2026
Higher premiums for the Part D plans could push more Medicare enrollees into Medicare Advantage, the private-insurer version of Medicare, which generally wrap in drug benefits and often charge no premiums at all.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
"I didn't stand a chance at all," he said, adding that the nans were "fuming" at first, but the situation quickly softened.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The lips weren’t black, like a proper wolf’s, but pale; and the ears were pale too – and they didn’t move at all.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
