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
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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.