anything

[[t]e̱nɪθɪŋ[/t]]

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1) PRON-INDEF: v PRON, oft PRON adj You use anything in statements with negative meaning to indicate in a general way that nothing is present or that an action or event does not or cannot happen.

We can't do anything...

Dad sat, not saying anything...

She couldn't see or hear anything at all...

By the time I get home, I'm too tired to do anything active...

I couldn't manage anything without you.

2) PRON-INDEF: oft PRON adj You use anything in questions and conditional clauses to ask or talk about whether something is present or happening.

What happened, is anything wrong?...

Did you find anything?...

Is there anything you can do to help?...

If there's anything I could do for him, I would.

3) PRON-INDEF: PRON cl/group You can use anything before words which indicate the kind of thing you are talking about.

More than anything else, he wanted to become a teacher...

Anything that's cheap this year will be even cheaper next year...

She collects anything that has charm.

4) PRON-INDEF (emphasis) You use anything to emphasize a possible thing, event, or situation, when you are saying that it could be any one of a very large number of things.

He is young, fresh, and ready for anything...

At that point, anything could happen...

He is convinced he just has to say `please' and he can have anything.

5) PRON-INDEF: PRON prep (emphasis) You use anything in expressions such as anything near, anything close to and anything like to emphasize a statement that you are making.

Doctors have decided the only way he can live anything near a normal life is to give him an operation...

Only Cowans played anything close to his true form...

Plainer examples of the early period do not fetch anything like these sums.

6) PRON-INDEF: PRON from n to n, PRON between n and n When you do not want to be exact, you use anything to talk about a particular range of things or quantities.

Factory farming has turned the cow into a milk machine, producing anything from 25 to 40 litres of milk per day...

Fights with his father lasted anything between fifteen minutes and an hour.

7) PHRASE: adj PHR (emphasis) You use as anything after an adjective to emphasize a quality that someone has. [INFORMAL, SPOKEN]

He used to be as smart as anything...

She opened the door and jumped out, quick as anything.

8) PHRASE: v-link PHR, usu PHR adj/n (emphasis) You use anything but in expressions such as anything but quiet and anything but attractive to emphasize that something is not the case.

I will be anything but quiet on Saturday night!...

There's no evidence that he told anyone to say anything but the truth...

The Los Angeles police chief was not always so insulated from politicians; anything but.

9) PHRASE (emphasis) You can say that you would not do something for anything to emphasize that you definitely would not want to do or be a particular thing. [INFORMAL, SPOKEN]

I wouldn't want to move for anything in the world...

I wouldn't have missed this summer in England for anything...

I wouldn't be without Matthew for anything.

10) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use if anything, especially after a negative statement, to introduce a statement that adds to what you have just said.

I never had to clean up after him. If anything, he did most of the cleaning.

11) PHRASE (vagueness) You can add or anything to the end of a clause or sentence in order to refer vaguely to other things that are or may be similar to what has just been mentioned. [INFORMAL, SPOKEN]

Listen, if you talk to him or anything make sure you let us know, will you...

He didn't cry or scream or anything.