way

1
[ wey ]
See synonyms for: wayways on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. manner, mode, or fashion: a new way of looking at a matter; to reply in a polite way.

  2. characteristic or habitual manner: Her way is to work quietly and never complain.

  1. a method, plan, or means for attaining a goal: to find a way to reduce costs.

  2. a respect or particular: The plan is defective in several ways.

  3. a direction or vicinity: Look this way. We're having a drought out our way.

  4. passage or progress on a course: to make one's way on foot; to lead the way.

  5. Often ways . distance: They've come a long way.

  6. a path or course leading from one place to another: What's the shortest way to town?

  7. British.

    • an old Roman or pre-Roman road: Icknield Way.

    • a minor street in a town: He lives in Stepney Way.

  8. a road, route, passage, or channel (usually used in combination): highway; waterway; doorway.

  9. Law. a right of way.

  10. any line of passage or travel, used or available: to blaze a way through dense woods.

  11. space for passing or advancing: to clear a way through the crowd.

  12. Often ways . a habit or custom: The grandmother lived by the ways of the old country.

  13. course or mode of procedure that one chooses or wills: They had to do it my way.

  14. condition, as to health, prosperity, or the like: to be in a bad way.

  15. range or extent of experience or notice: the best device that ever came in my way.

  16. a course of life, action, or experience: The way of transgressors is hard.

  17. Informal. business: to be in the haberdashery way.

  18. Nautical.

    • ways, two or more ground ways down which a hull slides in being launched.

    • movement or passage through the water.

  19. Machinery. a longitudinal strip, as in a planer, guiding a moving part along a surface.

Idioms about way

  1. by the way, in the course of one's remarks; incidentally: By the way, have you received that letter yet?

  2. by way of,

    • by the route of; through; via.

    • as a method or means of: to number articles by way of distinguishing them.

    • British. in the state or position of (being, doing, etc.); ostensibly: He is by way of being an authority on the subject.

  1. come one's way, to come to one; befall one: A bit of good fortune came my way.

  2. give way,

    • to withdraw or retreat: The army gave way before the advance of the enemy.

    • to collapse; yield; break down: You will surely give way under the strain of overwork.

  3. give way to,

    • to yield to: He gave way to their entreaties.

    • to become unrestrained or uninhibited; lose control of (one's temper, emotions, etc.): I gave way to my rage and ordered them from the house.

  4. go all the way, Slang.

    • to do completely or wholeheartedly.

    • to take a decisive action, especially one from which no retreat is possible: Neither side wants to go all the way with nuclear warfare.

    • to engage in sexual intercourse.

  5. go out of one's way, to do something that inconveniences one; make an unusual effort: Please don't go out of your way on my account.

  6. have a way with, to have a charming, persuasive, or effective manner of dealing with: He has a way with children; to have a way with words.

  7. have one's way with, (especially of a man) to have sexual intercourse with, sometimes by intimidating or forcing one's partner.

  8. in a family way, pregnant.

  9. in a way, after a fashion; to some extent: In a way, she's the nicest person I know.

  10. in someone's way, forming a hindrance, impediment, or obstruction: She might have succeeded in her ambition, had not circumstances been in her way.: Also in the way .

  11. lead the way,

    • to go along a course in advance of others, as a guide.

    • to take the initiative; be first or most prominent: In fashion she has always led the way.

  12. make one's way,

    • to go forward; proceed: to make one's way through the mud.

    • to achieve recognition or success; advance: to make one's way in the world.

  13. make way,

    • to allow to pass; clear the way: Make way for the king!

    • to relinquish to another; withdraw: He resigned to make way for a younger man.

    • Nautical. to make forward or astern progress even though engines are not running.

  14. no way, Informal. not under any circumstances; no: Apologize to him? No way!

  15. out of the way,

    • in a state or condition so as not to obstruct or hinder.

    • dealt with; disposed of: I feel better, now that one problem is out of the way.

    • murdered: to have a person put out of the way.

    • out of the frequented way; at a distance from the usual route.

    • improper; amiss: There was something decidedly out of the way about her explanation.

    • extraordinary; unusual: Such behavior was out of the way for him.

  16. pave the way to / for. pave (def. 3).

  17. see one's way clear, to regard as suitable or possible; consider seriously: We couldn't see our way clear to spending so much money at once.: Also see one's way .

  18. take one's way, to start out; travel; go: He took his way across the park and headed uptown.

Origin of way

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English wei, weie, wei(gh)e “road, thoroughfare, highway,” Old English weg; cognate with Old Frisian wei, wī, Dutch weg, German Weg, Old Norse vegr, Gothic wigs; akin to Latin vehere “to carry,” Greek ókhos (from wókhos ) “cart, vehicle”

synonym study For way

3. See method.

Other words for way

Other words from way

  • wayless, adjective

Words that may be confused with way

Words Nearby way

Other definitions for way (2 of 2)

way2
[ wey ]

adverb
  1. Also 'way . away; from this or that place: Go way.

  2. to a great degree or at quite a distance; far: way too heavy; way down the road.

Origin of way

2
First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English wei, wai, shortened variant of away

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use way in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for way

way

/ (weɪ) /


noun
  1. a manner, method, or means: a way of life; a way of knowing

  2. a route or direction: the way home

    • a means or line of passage, such as a path or track

    • (in combination): waterway

  1. space or room for movement or activity (esp in the phrases make way, in the way, out of the way)

  2. distance, usually distance in general: you've come a long way

  3. a passage or journey: on the way

  4. characteristic style or manner: I did it in my own way

  5. (often plural) habits; idiosyncrasies: he has some offensive ways

  6. an aspect of something; particular: in many ways he was right

    • a street in or leading out of a town

    • (capital when part of a street name): Icknield Way

  7. something that one wants in a determined manner (esp in the phrases get or have one's (own) way)

  8. the experience or sphere in which one comes into contact with things (esp in the phrase come one's way)

  9. informal a state or condition, usually financial or concerning health (esp in the phrases in a good (or bad) way)

  10. informal the area or direction of one's home: drop in if you're ever over my way

  11. movement of a ship or other vessel

  12. a right of way in law

  13. a guide along which something can be moved, such as the surface of a lathe along which the tailstock slides

  14. (plural) the wooden or metal tracks down which a ship slides to be launched

  15. a course of life including experiences, conduct, etc: the way of sin

  16. archaic calling or trade

  17. by the way (sentence modifier) in passing or incidentally

  18. by way of

    • via

    • serving as: by way of introduction

    • in the state or condition of: by way of being an artist

  19. each way (of a bet) laid on a horse, dog, etc, to win or gain a place

  20. give way

    • to collapse or break down

    • to withdraw or yield

  21. give way to

    • to step aside for or stop for

    • to give full rein to (emotions, etc)

  22. go out of one's way to take considerable trouble or inconvenience oneself

  23. have a way with to have such a manner or skill as to handle successfully

  24. have it both ways to enjoy two things that would normally contradict each other or be mutually exclusive

  25. in a way in some respects

  26. in no way not at all

  27. lead the way

    • to go first

    • to set an example or precedent

  28. make one's way

    • to proceed or advance

    • to achieve success in life

  29. no way informal that is impossible

  30. on the way out informal

    • becoming unfashionable, obsolete, etc

    • dying

  31. out of the way

    • removed or dealt with so as to be no longer a hindrance

    • remote

    • unusual and sometimes improper

  32. pay one's way See pay 1 (def. 11)

  33. see one's way or see one's way clear to find it possible and be willing (to do something)

  34. the way Irish so that: I left early the way I would avoid the traffic

  35. under way having started moving or making progress

adverb
  1. informal

    • at a considerable distance or extent: way over yonder

    • very far: they're way up the mountain

  2. informal by far; considerably: way better

  1. slang truly; genuinely: they have a way cool site

Origin of way

1
Old English weg; related to Old Frisian wei, Old Norse vegr, Gothic wigs

Collins 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 way

way

In addition to the idioms beginning with way

  • way the wind blows, which
  • way to go

also see:

  • all the way
  • by the way
  • by way of
  • can't punch one's way out of a paper bag
  • come a long way
  • come one's way
  • cut both ways
  • downhill all the way
  • every which way
  • feel one's way
  • find one's way
  • from way back
  • get one's way
  • give way
  • go all the way
  • go a long way toward
  • go one's way
  • go out of one's way
  • go the way of all flesh
  • hard way
  • have a way with
  • have it both ways
  • have one's way with
  • in a bad way
  • in a big way
  • in a way
  • in one's way
  • in the family way
  • in the way
  • in the worst way
  • know all the answers (one's way around)
  • laugh all the way to the bank
  • lead the way
  • look the other way
  • make one's way
  • make way
  • mend one's ways
  • more than one way to skin a cat
  • not built that way
  • no two ways about it
  • no way
  • one way or another
  • on one's way
  • on the way
  • on the way out
  • other way round
  • out of the way
  • parting of the ways
  • pave the way
  • pay one's way
  • pick one's way
  • put in the way of
  • right of way
  • rub the wrong way
  • see one's way to
  • set in one's ways
  • show the way
  • take the wrong way
  • that's how (the way) the ball bounces
  • under way
  • wend one's way
  • work one's way

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.