Meanings
adverbanyway (not comparable)
alternative anyways
- conjunctivenot comparableRegardless; anyhow.First known use 19th c.
He didn't enjoy washing his car, but it was so dirty that he did it anyway.
1 more example
Raymond Carver had only moments late at night to write after grueling day jobs, tense relationships, putting kids to bed, and dealing with his own alcoholism. And he wrote anyway.
2016, JoAnneh Nagler, How to be an artist without losing your mind, your shirt, or your creative compass, →ISBN, page 85 - not comparableUsed to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement. See anyhow and at least.First known use 19th c.
I don't think that's true. I haven't found any evidence, anyway.
1 more example
But I wish there were somethin’ you would do or say To try and make me change my mind and stay We never did too much talkin’ anyway Don’t think twice, it’s all right.
1962, Bob Dylan, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, in The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Columbia Records - not comparableUsed to indicate a change of subject.
"I'll be ninety my next birthday, but Louella doesn't tell her age. Anyway, we're going to have you and Cynthia up for supper."
2005, Jan Karon, These High, Green Hills - not comparableUsed at the end of a question for emphasis, or to direct the conversation to something of more broad importance (compare with more to the point).
“But I say, Kid, isn't that going it a little too strong? Whisky and alcohol's bad enough; but when it comes to brandy and pepper-sauce and—” ¶ “Dump it in. Who's making this punch, anyway?”
1899, Jack London, “To the Man on the Trail”, in The Overland Monthly, page 362 more examples
The name, Barry Frank, the name of the game when it comes to money these days, in every sport, is television revenue. How do they get enough money- let me back up a minute. How did the United States get the World Cup anyway? Of all the countries in the world, you'd think we'd be the last one to get it.
1990, Nightline, Ted Koppel (actor)“We should probably wait until Luke gets here to talk about it,” Leia suggested quietly before Han could answer. Lando glanced past Han, as if only just noticing Luke's absence. “Where is he, anyway?”
1992, Timothy Zahn, Heir to the Empire, Spectra, →ISBN, page 154 - not comparableobsoleteIn any way.First known use 16th–19th c.
He that sleeps in the day-time, or is in suspense, fear, anyway troubled in mind, or goes to bed upon a full stomach, may never hope for quiet rest in the night […].
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 5
Synonyms & antonyms
Similar
adverbused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
adverbin any way whatsoever
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Ancient Greek ὅμως
- ὅμως (hómōs)regardless
Arabic عَلَى كُلِّ حَال, على كل حال
- عَلَى كُلِّ حَال (ʕalā kulli ḥāl)regardless
- على كل حال (ʕalā kil-ḥāl, ʕa kil-ḥāl)regardless
- عَلَى أَيُّ حَالٍ (ʕalā ʔayyu ḥālin)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- على كل حال (ʕalā kil-ḥāl, ʕa kil-ḥāl)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Catalan malgrat tot, tanmateix
- malgrat totregardless
- tanmateixregardless
- de qualsevol maneraused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- en fiused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Chinese Cantonese 都, 照
- 都regardless
- 照 (ziu³)regardless
- 橫𠶧 /横𠶧 (waang⁴ dim⁶)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Chinese Mandarin 照樣 /照样, 反正
- 照樣 /照样 (zhàoyàng)regardless
- 反正 (fǎnzheng)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- 無論如何 /无论如何 (wúlùnrúhé)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Czech v každém případě
- v každém případěused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Danish hvorom alting er
- hvorom alting erused to indicate change of subject
Dutch toch, desondanks
- tochregardless
- desondanksregardless
- trots datregardless
- in elk gevalused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- in ieder gevalused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- hoe dan ookused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- tenminsteused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- in elk gevalused to indicate change of subject
- in ieder gevalused to indicate change of subject
- maar goedused to indicate change of subject
- hoe dan ookused to indicate change of subject
Esperanto malgraŭe, tamen
- malgraŭeregardless
- tamenregardless
- spite tionregardless
- almenaŭused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- kiel ajn (estas)used to indicate change of subject
- ĉiaokazeused to indicate change of subject
Finnish kuitenkin, siitä huolimatta
- kuitenkinregardless
- siitä huolimattaregardless
- ainakaanused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- miten vainused to indicate change of subject
- joka tapauksessaused to indicate change of subject
- se sikseenused to indicate change of subject
French quand même, de toute façon
- quand mêmeregardless
- de toute façonregardless
- malgré toutregardless
- en tout casused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- de toute façonused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- d'ailleursused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- de toute manièreused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- brefused to indicate change of subject
German trotzdem, ohnehin
- trotzdemregardless
- ohnehinregardless
- auf jeden Fallused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- jedenfallsused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- wie auch immerused to indicate change of subject
Greek ούτως ή άλλως, όπως και να έχει
- ούτως ή άλλως (oútos í állos)regardless
- όπως και να έχει (ópos kai na échei)regardless
- εν πάση περιπτώσει (en pási periptósei)regardless
- έτσι κι αλλιώς (étsi ki alliós)regardless
- πάντως (pántos)regardless
- εν πάση περιπτώσει (en pási periptósei)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- τέλος πάντων (télos pánton)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- πάντως (pántos)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- τέλος πάντων (télos pánton)used to indicate change of subject
Hebrew בכל מקרה, בכל זאת
- בכל מקרה (bekhól mikré)regardless
- בכל זאת (bekhól zót)regardless
- מכל מקוםregardless
- בכל אופן (bekhól ófen)regardless
- גם ככה (gam kácha)regardless
- בכל מקרה (bekhól mikré)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- בכל זאת (bekhól zót)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Hindi ख़ैर
- ख़ैर (xair)used to indicate change of subject
Hungarian azért, attól még
- azértregardless
- attól mégregardless
- mégisregardless
- mégiscsakregardless
- ennek ellenéreregardless
- ettől függetlenülregardless
- mindenesetreregardless
- amúgy isused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- amúgy semused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- különben isused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- különben semused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- egyébként isused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Icelandic allavega
- allavegaregardless
Irish ar aon chaoi
- ar aon chaoiused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Italian senza riguardo, comunque
- senza riguardoregardless
- comunqueregardless
- tantoregardless
- in ogni casoused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- comunqueused to indicate change of subject
- ad ogni modoused to indicate change of subject
Japanese とにかく, どうせ
- とにかく (tonikaku)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- どうせ (dōse)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- 何しろ (nanishiro)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- いずれにしても (izure ni shite mo)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- とにかく (tonikaku)used to indicate change of subject
Korean 아무튼, 어쨌든
- 아무튼 (amuteun)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- 어쨌든 (eojjaetdeun)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- 그런데 (geureonde)used to indicate change of subject
Latin utique, ceterum
- utiqueused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- ceterumused to indicate change of subject
Māori me aha koa
- me aha koaregardless
Norwegian i alle fall, i hvert fall
- i alle fallregardless
- i hvert fallregardless
- uansettused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Persian در هر حال, در هر حال
- در هر حال (dar har hâl)regardless
- در هر حال (dar har hâl)used to indicate change of subject
Polish i tak
- i takregardless
Portuguese mesmo assim, de qualquer forma
- mesmo assimregardless
- de qualquer formaregardless
- de qualquer maneiraregardless
- de todo modoregardless
- mesmoused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- de qualquer modoused to indicate change of subject
Romanian oricum, chiar și-așa
- oricumregardless
- chiar și-așaregardless
- și-așaregardless
- oricumused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- și-așaused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- oricumused to indicate change of subject
Russian несмотря́ на [что́-либо], всё равно́
- несмотря́ на [что́-либо]regardless
- всё равно́ (vsjo ravnó)regardless
- в любо́м слу́чае (v ljubóm slúčaje)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- так и́ли и́на́че (tak íli ínáče)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- во вся́ком слу́чае (vo vsjákom slúčaje)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- кста́ти (kstáti)used to indicate change of subject
- ла́дно (ládno)used to indicate change of subject
Scottish Gaelic co-dhiù, co-dhiù no co-dheth
- co-dhiùregardless
- co-dhiù no co-dhethregardless
- co-dhiùused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- co-dhiù no co-dhethused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- co-dhiùused to indicate change of subject
- co-dhiù no co-dhethused to indicate change of subject
Spanish aun así, comoquiera
- aun asíregardless
- comoquieraregardless
- igualregardless
- “pues, por lo menos…”used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- y además, ¿…used at the end of a question for emphasis, or to direct the conversation to something of more broad importance
- pero buenoused to indicate change of subject
- pues nadaused to indicate change of subject
- en finused to indicate change of subject
- o lo que seaused to indicate change of subject
Swedish ändå, i alla fall
- ändåregardless
- i alla fallregardless
- i alla fallused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- ändåused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- hur som helstused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- hur som helstused to indicate change of subject
- i alla fallused to indicate change of subject
- ajaused to indicate change of subject
Turkish yine de, zaten
- yine deregardless
- zatenused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- her hâlükârdaused to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- neyseused to indicate change of subject
- her neyseused to indicate change of subject
Ukrainian так чи іна́кше, в уся́кому ра́зі
- так чи іна́кше (tak čy inákše)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
- в уся́кому ра́зі (v usjákomu rázi)used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
Urdu خیر
- خیر (xair)used to indicate change of subject
Vietnamese bất chấp
- bất chấpregardless
Welsh beth bynnag, pa un bynnag
- beth bynnagregardless
- pa un bynnagregardless
- ta bethregardless
- ta p'un iregardless
- ta waethregardless
- sut bynnagregardless
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with anyway
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
anyway. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anyway
MLA
“anyway.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anyway. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “anyway,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/anyway.
Source: anyway on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.