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.
A newfangled kind of derivative that trades at all hours and with leverage grew into a sensation in overseas markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
"We find about 70% of patients have phenomenal results. They cut their pain scores in half, sometimes more. We have a few patients with no pain at all after the procedure," Casadaban says.
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
"That was her fourth groom since she was a puppy. There's never been any issues at all," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
The biggest near-term threat to stablecoins’ investment case might not come from the federal government at all but from traditional finance.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
“I’m surprised to see you at all, given you stood me up the last four weeks.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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.
