What does "anything" mean?

1. (any thing at all) used to refer to a thing of any kind, especially in questions or with 'not'. 2. (no matter what) used to say that it does not matter which thing is chosen. 3. (at all) used to ask if something is even a little bit like something else. 4. (something important) a person or thing that is important.

anything — meaning, definition & examples

Q: How do you use "anything"?

Commonly used in negative statements and questions. Often followed by a relative clause starting with 'that' or 'you'. Usually follows 'not' or appears in questions with 'like'.

Q: Is it correct to say "I don't have nothing to do."?

No — say "I don't have anything to do.". In standard English, avoid using two negatives like 'not' and 'nothing' together; use 'anything' instead.

Word

01any thing at all

A1 · Beginner

pron. used to refer to a thing of any kind, especially in questions or with 'not'.

pron. an indefinite pronoun referring to any object, act, or state; functions as the non-assertive counterpart to 'something'.

“I didn't buy anything at the mall because everything was too expensive.”

“The witness claimed she hadn't seen anything unusual during the hours leading up to the incident.”

Usage

Commonly used in negative statements and questions.

Pitfall

I don't have nothing to do.

I don't have anything to do.

In standard English, avoid using two negatives like 'not' and 'nothing' together; use 'anything' instead.

Synonyms

aught

Antonyms

nothing

02no matter what

A2 · Elementary

pron. used to say that it does not matter which thing is chosen.

pron. used in affirmative clauses to indicate an open choice or lack of restriction regarding the object or act.

“You can have anything you want for your birthday dinner.”

“The contract states that the tenant may not install anything on the walls without prior written consent from the landlord.”

Usage

Often followed by a relative clause starting with 'that' or 'you'.

Synonyms

whatever

03at all

B1 · Intermediate

adv. used to ask if something is even a little bit like something else.

adv. used as a degree adverb in questions or negative comparisons to mean 'at all' or 'to any extent'.

“Is your new phone anything like the old one?”

“The final results were not anything like what the researchers had originally predicted.”

Usage

Usually follows 'not' or appears in questions with 'like'.

Synonyms

at allsomewhat

04something important

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Literary · Formal

n. a person or thing that is important.

n. a person or thing of significant consequence or value.

“He wants to be anything in this company, even just a manager.”

“After years of struggle, she finally felt she had become anything in the eyes of her peers.”

Synonyms

something

Antonyms

nobody nothing

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “anything” in context.

01. anything else 02. anything like 03. anything you've 04. anything specific 05. anything wrong

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-no-kós Proto-Germanic *ainagaz Proto-West Germanic *ainag Old English ǣniġ Proto-Indo-European *tenk-? Proto-Indo-European *tenkóm Proto-Germanic *þingą Proto-West Germanic *þing Old English þing Old English aniþing Middle English anything English anything From Middle English anything, enything, onything, from Late Old English aniþing, from earlier ǣniġ þing (literally “any thing”), equivalent to any + thing.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-no-kós Proto-Germanic *ainagaz Proto-West Germanic *ainag Old English ǣniġ Old English ǣniġe Proto-Indo-European *tenk-? Proto-Indo-European *tenkóm Proto-Germanic *þingą Proto-West Germanic *þing Old English þing Old English þinga Old English ǣniġe þinga Middle English anything English anything From Middle English anything, enything, onything, onythynge, from Old English ǣniġe þinga, ǣnġi þinga (literally “by any of things”), from ǣniġe, instrumental form of ǣniġ (“any”) + þinga, genitive plural of þing (“thing”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

anybody anywhere everything something