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ENGLISH · A WORD WITH POSSIBILITIES

any.

To even the slightest extent; at all.

3 characters2 syllables approx.English language

Meaning & usage

adv/ɛni/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/æni//ɪni/US, pin-pen-merger
  1. To even the slightest extent; at all.

    not-comparable
  2. To even the slightest extent; at all. Used before different, before comparatives with more and less, and idiomatically before other comparatives, generally in interrogative, hypothetical, or negative contexts.

    not-comparable
    If you get any taller, you'll start having to duck through doorways!
    Is she any less enthused now that it's raining?
  3. To even the slightest extent; at all. Used to modify a verb, generally a finite verb or a non-finite verb in object position.

    US · not-comparable
    That doesn't bother me any.
    Unfortunately, I don't expect the documentation to help any.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-no-kós Proto-Germanic *ainagaz Proto-West Germanic *ainag Old English ǣniġ Middle English ani English any From Middle English any, eny, ony, ani, aniȝ, eniȝ, æniȝ, from Old English ǣniġ (“any”), from Proto-West Germanic *ainīg, *ainag, from Proto-Germanic *ainagaz, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), equivalent to one + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian eenich (“some”), West Frisian iennich (“only”), Dutch enig (“any, some”), Afrikaans enig (“any”), German Low German enig (“some”), German einig (“some”); via Proto-Indo-European *óynos cognate with Latin ūllus (“any”), Latin ūnicus (whence Italian unico (“unique”), French unique (“unique”)). Piecewise doublet of unique.

det/ɛni/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/æni//ɪni/US, pin-pen-merger
  1. One at all; at least one; at least one kind of; some; a positive quantity of.

    Do you have any biscuits?
    Do you have any food?
  2. A/an, each or some, no matter its/their identity or nature.

    Choose any item you want.
    Any person may apply.
  3. An unspecified but imminent (second, minute, day etc.).

    They'll be arriving any day.
    I expect the phone to ring at any moment.
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-no-kós Proto-Germanic *ainagaz Proto-West Germanic *ainag Old English ǣniġ Middle English ani English any From Middle English any, eny, ony, ani, aniȝ, eniȝ, æniȝ, from Old English ǣniġ (“any”), from Proto-West Germanic *ainīg, *ainag, from Proto-Germanic *ainagaz, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), equivalent to one + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian eenich (“some”), West Frisian iennich (“only”), Dutch enig (“any, some”), Afrikaans enig (“any”), German Low German enig (“some”), German einig (“some”); via Proto-Indo-European *óynos cognate with Latin ūllus (“any”), Latin ūnicus (whence Italian unico (“unique”), French unique (“unique”)). Piecewise doublet of unique.

pron/ɛni/General-American, Received-Pronunciation/æni//ɪni/US, pin-pen-merger
  1. Any thing(s) or person(s).

    Any may apply.
    I had put a bowl of fruit on the table, but the guests didn’t eat any (of it).
Where this word comes from

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Indo-European *h₁oy-no-kós Proto-Germanic *ainagaz Proto-West Germanic *ainag Old English ǣniġ Middle English ani English any From Middle English any, eny, ony, ani, aniȝ, eniȝ, æniȝ, from Old English ǣniġ (“any”), from Proto-West Germanic *ainīg, *ainag, from Proto-Germanic *ainagaz, from Proto-Germanic *ainaz (“one”), equivalent to one + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian eenich (“some”), West Frisian iennich (“only”), Dutch enig (“any, some”), Afrikaans enig (“any”), German Low German enig (“some”), German einig (“some”); via Proto-Indo-European *óynos cognate with Latin ūllus (“any”), Latin ūnicus (whence Italian unico (“unique”), French unique (“unique”)). Piecewise doublet of unique.

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Last enriched 2026-09-10. Definitions are in English. Romanizations are shown when supplied by the source; syllable estimates are omitted for unsupported scripts.