Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 PRON 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.

4 PRON 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. [EMPHASIS ] □  He is young, fresh, and ready for anything. □  At that point, anything could happen.

5 PRON You use anything in expressions such as anything near , anything close to and anything like to emphasize a statement that you are making. [EMPHASIS ] □  The only way he can live anything near a normal life is to have an operation.

6 PRON When you do not want to be exact, you use anything to talk about a particular range of things or quantities. □  The cows produce anything from 25 to 40 litres of milk per day.

7 PHRASE You use anything but in expressions such as anything but quiet and anything but attractive to emphasize that something is not the case. [EMPHASIS ] □  There's no evidence that he told anyone to say anything but the truth.

8 PHRASE 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 , EMPHASIS ] □  I wouldn't want to move for anything in the world.

9 PHRASE 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.

10 PHRASE 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 , VAGUENESS ] □  Listen, if you talk to him or anything make sure you let us know, will you.

any|time /e nita I m/ ADV [ADV with v] You use anytime to mean a point in time which is not fixed or set. □  The college admits students anytime during the year. □  He can call me anytime.

any|way ◆◆◇ /e niwe I / or anyhow

1 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous point. □  I'm certain David's told you his business troubles. Anyway, it's no secret that he owes money. □  Mother certainly won't let him stay with her and anyhow he wouldn't.

2 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to suggest that a statement is true or relevant in spite of other things that have been said. □  I don't know why I settled on Aberdeen, but anyway I did. □  I wasn't qualified to apply for the job really but I got it anyhow.

3 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to correct or modify a statement, for example to limit it to what you definitely know to be true. □  Mary Ann doesn't want to have children. Not right now, anyway.

4 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to indicate that you are asking what the real situation is or what the real reason for something is. □  What do you want from me, anyway? □  Where was Bud, anyhow?

5 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to indicate that you are missing out some details in a story and are passing on to the next main point or event. □  I was told to go to Reading for this interview. It was a very amusing affair. Anyhow, I got the job.

6 ADV You use anyway or anyhow to change the topic or return to a previous topic. □  'I've got a terrible cold.'—'Have you? Anyway, so you're staying at home this weekend?'