how so

phrase

How?; In what way?

“I'm feeling really depressed. ― How so?”

OriginMiddle English how-so →
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Meanings

phrasehow so?
  1. How?; In what way?

    The city of Melbourne has much more culture than Sydney. ― How so?

  2. idiomaticWhy?; For what reason?

    I'm feeling really depressed. ― How so?

adverbhow so?
  1. How; In what way; however

    But how so thys money was lent or gyded, at thys daye the cheste remayneth in the chamber of London, wythout money or pledges for the same.

    1809, The Literary Panorama, and National Register, page 1179
    2 more examples

    But we have groaned over this experience, an O ! dear ! with every breath, and wished ourselves out of it, someway, somehow, no matter what way or how so we were rid of it.

    1897, Ursula Newell Gestefeld, How We Master Our Fate, page 62

    Of every wit somewhat he can Out-take that him lacketh rule, His own estate to guide and rule; How so it stood of his speaking, He was not wise in his doing;

    2014, Gesta Romanorum, →ISBN, page clxxxiii
  2. idiomaticWhy; For what reason.

    Yet how so ere I love, I must be wife.

    1598, Robert Greene, The Scottish Historie of James the Fourth
    2 more examples

    That picture wasn't much to look at, being so old and all, but Mrs. Oaks made like it looked so nice; or, that's what she said as she stared at it, looking back and forth at the picture and me like it wasn't so. Only, she just didn't know how so it wasn't. It wasn't me at all.

    2013, Earlene Jernigan-Carter, When Life Just Happens: A Book of Short Stories, →ISBN, page 70

    My reflection in you warbled, because you see only hints, of what I see to beacon of me. Who am I who is reflecting from you? How so do I identify my soul in you?

    2014, Eve Chilicas, Supernatural: Sci-Fi Poetry, →ISBN, page 24
  3. Used as an intensifier.

    How so we love thee! Even UNIVAC and IBM Could never count the way.

    2012, H. Bundy Shaw, Play On Words: Poems, Lyrics, and Other Writings of H. Bundy Shaw, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    The king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord ; and in thy salvation how so shall he rejoice!

    1771, The Book of Common Prayer

    I wished my voice would carry him through eternity, keeping us in a moment that nothing could part, oh, and how so I wanted to follow his lead, and how so to death I was determined not to concede, and how so, how so many wonderful things;

    2014, Daniel C. Joneikies, Vampyre's Pyre, →ISBN, page 105

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
how's that

Origin

  1. Middle Englishhow-so
  2. Englishhow so

From ellipsis of "how is that so?", and also continuing Middle English how-so, hou-so, hu se (“however, in whatsoever way”). Compare West Frisian hoesa (“how so, why”), Dutch hoezo (“how so, why”), German Low German woso (“how so, why”), German wieso (“how so, why”), Swedish hurså (“how so”). By surface analysis, how + so.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish miten niin, kuinka niin
  • miten niinwhy
  • kuinka niinwhy
  • kuin niinwhy
German wieso
  • wiesowhy
Polish w jaki sposób?, jak to?
  • w jaki sposób?why
  • jak to?why
Spanish cómo así, cómo así
  • cómo asíhow
  • cómo asíwhy
  • y esowhy
Swedish hurså, hur så
  • hursåwhy
  • hur såwhy
Cite this entry
APA

how so. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20so

MLA

“how so.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20so. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “how so,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/how%20so.

Source: how so on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.