anyhow - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

Proto-Indo-European *kʷ-

Proto-Indo-European *kʷís

Proto-Germanic *hwō

Old English hū

Middle English how

English anyhow

From any +‎ how.

anyhow (not comparable)

  1. (manner) In any way or manner whatever.
  2. (conjunctive) In any case. Used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement.
    Anyhow, he is dead now.
    I think they’re asleep; anyhow, they’re quiet.
  3. Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.
    • 1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:
      It was a woman’s clothing, beyond a doubt, all thrown in anyhow, — as if the person who had placed it there had been in a desperate hurry.
  4. (Singapore, Singlish, by extension) Thoughtlessly, randomly, without careful consideration.
    Compare Hokkien 亂／乱 (loān) and 四散 (sì-sòaⁿ).
    • 1994, Michael Chiang, “Private Parts”, in Private Parts & Other Play Things, →ISBN, page 270:
      No lah! Don’t anyhow say! But you also look so different, Vasoo. First time I’ve seen you without your uniform!
    • 2024, Jojo Chia, Afternoon Yuan Yang Club, Epigram Books, →ISBN:
      Don’t anyhow, please. Told you guys he’s just a friend.

anyhow (not comparable)

  1. (Singapore, Singlish, predicative) Random, careless, offhand, disorderly; done without thought or consideration.
    Synonym: (Singapore, vulgar) half-fuck
    • 2022 January 25, Jean Wong, Cassandra Nerva, Jerald Ang, “34 Singlish Phrases to Know Before Visiting Singapore”, in tripzilla.com‎[1], archived from the original on 30 September 2024:
      Rabak, to refer to something messed up: Eh bro, your hairdresser anyhow sia, your hair damn rabak.
    • 2024 December 13, gwbasic, “Is it all the food influencers cannot make it?”, in HardwareZone Forums:
      Even the newspaper recommendation oso anyhow one.

in any way, in any manner

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