ENGLISH
REFERENCE

everything

pron.
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈɛvɹiˌθɪŋ// UK //ˈɛvɹɪθˌɪŋ// ev·ery·thing General-service Informal

pron. all things or all parts of a situation. You use it when you want to talk about every single item in a group without naming them one by one.

pron. all things; all relevant items or aspects of a situation. Functions as a singular pronoun despite referring to a collective whole.


SIMPLE

Everything in this shop is on sale today.

CONTEXTUAL

The fire destroyed everything in the apartment, but fortunately, the family escaped without any injuries.

COMPLEX

The philosopher argued that everything in the universe is interconnected, suggesting that even the smallest action can have profound consequences on the entire system.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English every thing; univerbation of every + thing.

Usage

Always takes a singular verb form (e.g., 'everything is' rather than 'everything are').

Pitfall

Everything are ready for the party.Everything is ready for the party.Even though 'everything' refers to many things, it is grammatically singular and requires a singular verb.

Idioms7 entries

© 2026 English Reference