or what

Idioms  

1. A phrase following a statement that adds emphasis or suggests an option. For example, in Is this a good movie or what? the phrase asks for confirmation or agreement. However, it also may ask for an alternative, as in Is this book a biography or what? In the 1700s it generally asked for a choice among a series of options, and it still has this function, as in In what does John excel? in imagination? in reasoning powers? in mathematics? or what?

---

Example Sentences

"I don't know why these individuals attacked or what they are trying to do, but I refuse to let these dangerous acts undermine New Jersey's commitment to public safety," Sherrill said on X.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

At more than a quarter of this year’s launches, results depend on the performance of a single stock, commodity or other asset—the opposite of diversification, or what I’ve called deversification.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

At the time, researchers could not accurately determine how old the tools were or what the environment looked like when ancient humans lived there.

From Science Daily • May 20, 2026

“When you submit a video, you dwell on what you should have done or what you didn’t think of in the moment. You torture yourself — at least I do.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

In the corner opposite the tree was the sukkah, or what Anya assumed was the sukkah.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack