ways

¹ American

[weyz] / weɪz /

noun

(used with a singular verb)

way.

-ways ² American

a suffix appearing in native English adverbs.

always; sideways.

-ways British

suffix

indicating direction or manner

sideways

"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

Etymology

Origin of ways¹

Middle English weyes, Old English weges, genitive singular of weg way ¹

Origin of -ways²

Middle English; see way ¹, -s ¹

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.

Here are my top five favorite ways to enjoy cottage cheese.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

Smoothies are one of the easiest ways to pack more fruit into your day.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

U.S. military officials, however, say they are closely working with Kyiv to prepare for the new drone-dominated ways of waging war.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

What stood out to me while reading both articles is that both sportsmen are righteous, grateful people who honor their parents in meaningful ways.

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2026

“It’s . . . well, in many ways, writing that story was my way of trying to see the world from my father’s perspective.”

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023