Word
anyways
Phoneticsany·ways
US/ˈɛniˌweɪz/
UK/ˈɛnɪwˌeɪz/
Definitions
01changing the subject
adv. you use this to move to a new topic or to get back to a story after a break.
adv. a discourse marker used to transition between topics or to resume a narrative thread after a digression.
“Anyways, as I was saying before the phone rang, we should go.”
“Anyways, the point is that we cannot afford to delay the launch any longer regardless of the minor bugs.”
Informal · American English
Usage
Usually placed at the beginning of a sentence to signal a shift in conversation.
Pitfall
I will do it anyways.
I will do it anyway.
While 'anyways' is common in speech, 'anyway' is the correct form for formal writing and exams.
Teaching tip
This form is very common in spoken North American English but is often considered non-standard or incorrect in formal writing.
02regardless
adv. used to say that something is true or will happen no matter what else is going on.
adv. used to indicate that a statement applies regardless of preceding circumstances or counter-arguments.
“It might rain later, but I'm going for a run anyways.”
“The evidence against the theory was substantial, but the researchers decided to proceed with the experiment anyways.”
Informal · Dialect
Usage
Often placed at the end of a clause to dismiss a previous concern.
Teaching tip
In this sense, it functions as a synonym for 'in any case'.
Synonyms
Etymology
From any + adverbial genitive of way (compare always).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/anyways