anything

The word “anything” means any thing, event, or fact at all, of whatever kind. In plain terms, a general word for "any thing at all," used in questions, negatives, and offers.

“Anything” is pronounced EHN-ih-thihng (/ˈɛn.i.θɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “anything” used in a sentence: “Did anything interesting happen at work today?”

Depending on how it is used, “anything” can be a pronoun and an adverb.

“Anything” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Anything” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: any thing, event, or fact at all, of whatever kind.

'Something' points to a particular but unnamed thing and is used in positive statements, like 'I have something to tell you.' 'Anything' is open-ended, meaning no matter what, and is common in questions and negatives: 'Is there anything to eat?' or 'I don't want anything.' 'Something' narrows; 'anything' stays wide open.

'Anything' pairs with a negative verb to say what 'nothing' says with a positive one: 'I didn't see anything' equals 'I saw nothing.' Using a negative verb together with 'nothing' creates a double negative — 'I didn't see nothing' — which is considered nonstandard in formal English.

'Would you like anything to drink?' uses it in a question to mean no matter which item. 'You can choose anything on the menu' shows its open, unlimited sense. In 'I can't hear anything,' it combines with a negative verb to mean not a single thing at all.