# anyways

/ˈɛniˌweɪz/ (US) · /ˈɛnɪwˌeɪz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/anyways
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. changing the subject

adverb · CEFR B1 · Informal · American English

you use this to move to a new topic or to get back to a story after a break.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually placed at the beginning of a sentence to signal a shift in conversation.

Teaching tip: This form is very common in spoken North American English but is often considered non-standard or incorrect in formal writing.

### 2. regardless

adverb · CEFR B2 · Informal · Dialect

used to say that something is true or will happen no matter what else is going on.

For teachers: 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.

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'.

## Examples

- It was a long day, but anyways, I'm home now.
- The movie was way too long and the acting was poor; anyways, we decided to leave early and grab dinner.
- The technical details of the project are still being finalized by the engineering team, but anyways, the primary goal remains to launch by the third quarter.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.