Word
whatever
Phoneticswhat·ev·er, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌhwəˈtɛvɝ/
UK/wɒtˈɛvɐ/
Definitions
01anything that
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.
日本語:なんでも※
“You can eat whatever you like from the fridge.”
“The contract stipulates that the consultant must provide whatever assistance is necessary to complete the project by the end of the fiscal year.”
Synonyms
02any kind of
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.
日本語:どんな※
“Whatever decision you make, I will support you.”
“Whatever small progress we made during the morning session was quickly undone by the technical failures in the afternoon.”
03at all
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'.
“I have no interest in that subject whatever.”
“The witness claimed to have no knowledge whatever of the financial transactions mentioned in the indictment.”
Synonyms
04unimpressive
C1 · Advanced Slang · Informal
adj. not very good or not special.
adj. describing something as mediocre, unexceptional, or not worth much attention.
“The movie was just whatever—I wouldn't watch it again.”
“The food at the new bistro was a bit whatever, certainly not worth the high prices they were charging for such basic ingredients.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “whatever” in context.
Verb
01. accept whatever
“We must be prepared to accept whatever outcome the committee decides upon.”
verb + noun
02. do whatever
“You are free to do whatever you think is necessary to resolve the situation.”
verb + noun
03. say whatever
“He tends to say whatever comes to mind without considering the consequences.”
verb + noun
04. take whatever
“The doctor advised me to take whatever precautions were needed before traveling.”
verb + noun
Preposition
05. by whatever
“They were determined to win the contract by whatever means possible.”
prep + noun
06. for whatever
“She apologized for whatever trouble she might have caused during her stay.”
prep + noun
07. in whatever
“The team was instructed to assist in whatever capacity they could.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“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.” “What to be aware of: Whatever your look, don't share your balm or lipstick.” “But whatever price structure it chooses could be upended if and when the large language model providers change their own pricing strategies.” Etymology
From Middle English whatever. By surface analysis, what + ever.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Idioms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/whatever
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0