whatever
- 01 A2 Elementary
pron.anything or everything that happens or exists.
pron.the whole or any part of what; used as a relative pronoun to refer to anything that occurs or is the case.
Simple“You can eat whatever you like from the fridge.”
In context“The contract stipulates that the consultant must provide whatever assistance is necessary to complete the project by the end of the fiscal year.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
det.any kind of thing, no matter what it is.
det.used to emphasize that the specific type or amount of something does not change the situation.
Simple“Whatever decision you make, I will support you.”
In context“Whatever small progress we made during the morning session was quickly undone by the technical failures in the afternoon.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adv.used after a negative word to mean 'at all'.
adv.used for emphasis after a negative statement or a noun phrase with 'no'; often interchangeable with 'whatsoever'.
Simple“I have no interest in that subject whatever.”
In context“The witness claimed to have no knowledge whatever of the financial transactions mentioned in the indictment.”
Synonymsat allwhatsoever - 04 C1 Advanced
adj.not very good or not special.
adj.describing something as mediocre, unexceptional, or not worth much attention.
Simple“The movie was just whatever—I wouldn't watch it again.”
In context“The food at the new bistro was a bit whatever, certainly not worth the high prices they were charging for such basic ingredients.”
Usage whatever comes · whatever resources
“Whatever the reason, the Blues are unlikely to suffer such a sudden slump again this season.”
“Hasina said she was ready to face whatever fate awaited her in Bangladesh, where her Awami League party is now banned.”
From Middle English whatever. By surface analysis, what + ever.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.