Adverb
Why did you quit your job?
Why is the sky blue?
Why didn’t you call me?
Why didn’t I think of that?
“I can’t go out tonight.” “Why not?”
Conjunction
I know why he did it.
It’s easy to see why she fell in love with him.
He’s a very good player. That’s why he made the team.
The reason why they succeeded is obvious. They worked really hard.
Give me one good reason why I should stay.
Noun
asked the whys behind the surprising decision
how one decides that a certain he or she is “the one” is one of the great whys of life
Interjection
why, what a strange thing to say!
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Several wanted to know why the Chinese airship was allowed to float all the way to the Atlantic Ocean before it was shot down.
—
Ellen Nakashima, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2023
Police did not say how or why the shooting took place and, as of Friday, no arrests had been made.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2023
At a separate Senate subcommittee hearing, lawmakers repeatedly pressed administration officials, including Pentagon military leaders, about why the balloon was not shot down over sparsely populated areas of Alaska.
—Matthew Lee And Eric Tucker, ajc, 10 Feb. 2023
That continuance prompted Bolden to use profanity on the courthouse steps when speaking at a news conference, and is part of why Griggsby is seeking to hold him in criminal contempt.
—Lee O. Sanderlin, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2023
This is also a population-level study, so there is no way to pinpoint exactly why people exposed to these kinds of air pollutions would have a higher risk of depression.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 10 Feb. 2023
If your dentist wants to X-ray your teeth, Dr. Hershkowitz recommends asking them why.
—Drew Schwartz, SELF, 10 Feb. 2023
The notes do not go into detail on why the Archives would have sought the material that was sent to Boston.
—Colleen Long, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Feb. 2023
That helps explain why so many of Home Title Lock’s ads and promotional materials have featured high-profile conservative personalities such as Gingrich and Giuliani.
—Mike Levine, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2023
There’s got to be a why.
—Vulture, 29 Mar. 2023
The show never aims its considerable wit and girl power vibe to get a firm grip on the troubling tributaries that flow just underneath the why-ness of the show: These women, nobility be damned, are one and all inextricably tied to a fundamentally-flawed man.
—Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 12 Oct. 2022
Cain opines on the why-and-how of private mega-yachts, which have grown mind-bogglingly massive (such as the 533-foot-long Eclipse, replete with submarine, owned by Russian business mogul Roman Abramovich).
—Laura Manske, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2021
Not everyone may want to abandon teaching manners altogether, but these insights do suggest rethinking our approach, focusing as much on the why of courtesy as the how.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2019
Worst of all, the cult of lethality attempts to divorce the how of killing from the why, an insane proposition given that military force is deployed in the service of political outcomes.
—Jared Keller, The New Republic, 9 Sep. 2019
And the why is that it’s, unfortunately, human nature that has presented itself in so many, many ways.
—Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2018
History doesn’t often remember the why, just the what.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Sep. 2017
But instead of getting bogged down by the calories consumed or the grams of fat encountered, Alpert turned the conversation to the why.
—Logan Sykes, Town & Country, 2 Jan. 2017
Why, oh why, do the Rangers keep throwing away almost certain victories in the final minutes of playoff games?
—Filip Bondy, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2017
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘why.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
why
(wī, hwī)
adv.
For what purpose, reason, or cause; with what intention, justification, or motive: Why is the door shut? Why do birds sing?
conj.
1. The reason, cause, or purpose for which: I know why you left.
2. Usage Problem On account of which; for which.
n. pl. whys
1. The cause or intention underlying a given action or situation: studying the whys of antisocial behavior.
2. A difficult problem or question.
interj.
Used to express mild surprise, indignation, or impatience.
Usage Note: A traditional rule states that why is redundant in the expression reason why, as in The reason why he accepted the nomination is not clear. It is true that why could be eliminated from such examples with no loss to the meaning, and that that could be used instead of why, but reason why has been used by reputable English writers since the Renaissance, and a majority of the Usage Panel accepts the construction. In our 2009 survey, 55 percent accepted the example quoted above. Higher percentages accepted examples in which reason is modified by a, any, or another instead of the.. For instance, 67 percent accepted the example Is there any reason why this drug enforcement program should work? While there is certainly no harm in observing this rule in one’s own writing, insisting on it in the writing of others may seem petty. See Usage Note at where.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
why
(waɪ)
adv
a. for what reason, purpose, or cause?: why are you here?.
b. (used in indirect questions): tell me why you’re here.
pron
for or because of which: there is no reason why he shouldn’t come.
n, pl whys
(usually plural) the reason, purpose, or cause of something (esp in the phrase the whys and wherefores)
interj
an introductory expression of surprise, disagreement, indignation, etc: why, don’t be silly!.
[Old English hwī; related to Old Norse hvī, Gothic hveileiks what kind of, Latin quī]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
why
(ʰwaɪ, waɪ)
adv., conj., n., pl. whys,
interj. adv.
1. for what? for what reason or purpose?: Why do you ask?
conj.
2. for what cause or reason: I don’t know why he left.
3. for which; on account of which (usu. after reason to introduce a relative clause): the reason why she refused to go.
4. the reason for which: That is why he returned.
n.
5. a question concerning the cause or reason for which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child’s unending whys.
6. the cause or reason: the whys and wherefores of the Cold War.
interj.
7. (used as an expression of surprise, hesitation, etc., or sometimes a mere expletive): Why, it’s all gone!
[before 900; Middle English; Old English hwī, hwȳ, instr. case of hwæt what; c. Old Norse hvī]
Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
why
1. used in questions
You use why when you are asking a question about the reason for something.
‘I had to say no.’ – ‘Why?’
Why did you do it, Marta?
2. used when no answer is expected
You sometimes use why in questions without expecting an answer. For example, you can make a suggestion by asking a question beginning with Why don’t.
Why don’t we all go?
Why don’t you write to her yourself?
You can emphasize that there is no reason for something to be done by asking a question beginning with Why should.
Why would he be angry with you?
‘Will you say sorry?’ – ‘No, why should I?’
You can emphasize that there is no reason why something should not be done by asking a question beginning with Why shouldn’t.
Why shouldn’t he go to college?
You can suggest that an action is pointless by using why followed by an infinitive without to.
Why tell the police? It won’t do any good.
3. used in reported clauses
Why is often used in reported clauses.
He wondered why she had come.
You never really told me why you don’t like him.
Why can be used on its own instead of a reported clause, if it is clear what you mean. For example, instead of saying ‘She doesn’t like him. I don’t know why she doesn’t like him’, you can say ‘She doesn’t like him, I don’t know why‘.
They refuse to come – I don’t know why.
He’s certainly cheerful, though I can’t think why.
4. used in relative clauses
Why is sometimes used in relative clauses with the word reason.
That is one reason why they were such a successful team.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
Translations
ضَمير صِلَه بِمَعْنى: الذي بِسَبَبِهلـِمَاذالماذا؟
защопричина
proč
hvorfor
kial
miks
miksi
zašto
ami miattmiért
kenapamengapa
af hverjuaf hverju, hvers vegnaástæðahvers vegna, af hverjunú
なぜ
왜
curquid
kodėl
kādēļkāpēc
zakaj
varfördärför
ทำไม
tại saovì saosao
why
[waɪ]
A. ADV → por qué
why not? → ¿por qué no?
why on earth didn’t you tell me? → ¿por qué demonios no me lo dijiste?
I know why you did it → sé por qué lo hiciste
why he did it we shall never know → no sabremos nunca por qué razón lo hizo
that’s why I couldn’t come → por eso no pude venir
which is why I am here → que es por lo que estoy aquí
B. EXCL → ¡toma!, ¡anda!
why, it’s you! → ¡toma, eres tú!, ¡anda, eres tú!
why, what’s the matter? → bueno, ¿qué pasa?
why, there are 8 of us! → ¡si somos 8!
why, it’s easy! → ¡vamos, es muy fácil!
C. N the whys and (the) wherefores → el porqué
WHY
• Why can usually be translated by por qué:
Why didn’t you come? ¿Por qué no viniste? They asked her why she hadn’t finished her report Le preguntaron por qué no había terminado el informe
! Remember the difference in spelling between por qué (why) and porque (because).
• To ask specifically about the purpose of something, you can translate why using para qué:
Why go if we are not needed? ¿Para qué vamos a ir si no nos necesitan?
• In statements, you can translate (the reason) why using por qué, la razón (por la que) or el motivo (por el que):
Tell me (the reason) why you don’t want to accept the proposal Dime por qué or la razón por la que or el motivo por el que no quieres aceptar la propuesta
• Translate that’s why using por eso:
That’s why they wouldn’t pay Por eso no querían pagar
• Like all question words in Spanish, porqué can function as a masculine noun. Note that in el porqué, porqué is written as one word:
I’d like to know why he’s absent or the reason for his absence Me gustaría saber el porqué de su ausencia
Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
why
[ˈhwaɪ]
adv (in questions) → pourquoi
Why did you do that? → Pourquoi avez-vous fait ça?
Why is he late? → Pourquoi est-il en retard?
Tell me why → Dis-moi pourquoi.
I’ve never been to France. — Why not? → Je ne suis jamais allé en France. — Pourquoi?
All right, why not? → D’accord, pourquoi pas?
(in relative clauses) → pourquoi
That’s why he did it → Voilà pourquoi il a fait ça.
the reason why sb did sth → la raison pour laquelle qn a fait qch
She never told me the reason why she left → Elle ne m’a jamais dit pourquoi elle était partie.
She left, and nobody knows the reason why → Elle est partie et personne ne sait pourquoi.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
why
adv → warum, weshalb; (asking for the purpose) → wozu; (= how come that …) → wieso; why not ask him? → warum fragst du/fragen wir etc ihn nicht?; why wait? → warum or wozu (noch) warten?; why do it this way? → warum denn so?; that’s why → darum, deshalb, deswegen; that’s exactly why … → genau deshalb or deswegen …
interj why, of course, that’s right! → ja doch or aber sicher, das stimmt so!; are you sure? — why yes (of course/I think so) → sind Sie sicher? — aber ja doch; why that’s easy! → na, das ist doch einfach!; take the bus! why, it’s only a short walk → den Bus nehmen? ach was, das ist doch nur ein Katzensprung; why, if it isn’t Charles! → na so was, das ist doch (der) Charles!; who did it? why it’s obvious → wer das war? na or also, das ist doch klar
n the whys and (the) wherefores → das Warum und Weshalb
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
why
[waɪ]
1. adv & conj → perché
why is he always late? → perché è sempre in ritardo?
I wonder why he said that → mi chiedo perché l’abbia detto
why not do it now? → perché non farlo adesso?
why don’t you come too? → perché non vieni anche tu?
there’s no reason why … → non c’è motivo per cui…+ sub
why (ever) not? → perché no?
so that’s why he did it! → ecco perché l’ha fatto!
2. excl (surprise) → guarda guarda!, ma guarda un po’!; (remonstrating) → ma via!; (explaining) → ebbene!
why, it’s you! → guarda guarda, or ah sei tu!
why, it’s obvious! → ma via, è ovvio!
3. n the whys and (the) wherefores → le ragioni or i motivi
the why and the how → il perché e il percome
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
why
(wai) adverb
for which reason (?). `Why did you hit the child?’; `He hit the child.’ `Why?’; Why haven’t you finished?; `I haven’t finished.’ `Why not?’; `Let’s go to the cinema.’ `Why not?’ (= Let’s!); Tell me why you came here.
relative pronoun
for which. Give me one good reason why I should help you!
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
why
→ لـِمَاذا proč hvorfor warum γιατί por qué miksi pourquoi zašto perché なぜ 왜 waarom hvorfor dlaczego por que motivo, Porquê? почему varför ทำไม niçin tại sao 为什么
Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
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So many people are walking around looking so grim all the time. I just never understand why.
Lindy Boggs
ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD WHY
Old English hwī; related to Old Norse hvī, Gothic hveileiks what kind of, Latin quī.
Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
PRONUNCIATION OF WHY
GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF WHY
Why can act as a noun, an adverb, a pronoun and an exclamation.
A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.
The adverb is an invariable part of the sentence that can change, explain or simplify a verb or another adverb.
The pronoun is a word that replaces other terms that designate people or things at any given moment.
Exclamation is an expression or voice that reflects an emotion or exaltation.
WHAT DOES WHY MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Why
Why may refer to: ▪ Causality, a consequential relationship between two events ▪ Reason, a premise in support of an argument, for what reason or purpose ▪ Why?, one of the Five Ws used in journalism…
Definition of why in the English dictionary
The first definition of why in the dictionary is for what reason, purpose, or cause?. Other definition of why is for or because of which. Why is also the reason, purpose, or cause of something.
Synonyms and antonyms of why in the English dictionary of synonyms
Translation of «why» into 25 languages
TRANSLATION OF WHY
Find out the translation of why to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of why from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «why» in English.
Translator English — Chinese
为什么
1,325 millions of speakers
Translator English — Spanish
por qué
570 millions of speakers
English
why
510 millions of speakers
Translator English — Hindi
क्यों
380 millions of speakers
Translator English — Arabic
لـِمَاذا
280 millions of speakers
Translator English — Russian
почему
278 millions of speakers
Translator English — Portuguese
Porquê?
270 millions of speakers
Translator English — Bengali
কেন
260 millions of speakers
Translator English — French
pourquoi
220 millions of speakers
Translator English — Malay
Mengapa
190 millions of speakers
Translator English — German
warum
180 millions of speakers
Translator English — Japanese
なぜ
130 millions of speakers
Translator English — Korean
왜
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Javanese
Kenapa
85 millions of speakers
Translator English — Vietnamese
tại sao
80 millions of speakers
Translator English — Tamil
ஏன்
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Marathi
का
75 millions of speakers
Translator English — Turkish
niye ya
70 millions of speakers
Translator English — Italian
perché
65 millions of speakers
Translator English — Polish
dlaczego
50 millions of speakers
Translator English — Ukrainian
чому
40 millions of speakers
Translator English — Romanian
de ce
30 millions of speakers
Translator English — Greek
γιατί
15 millions of speakers
Translator English — Afrikaans
Hoekom
14 millions of speakers
Translator English — Swedish
varför
10 millions of speakers
Translator English — Norwegian
hvorfor
5 millions of speakers
Trends of use of why
TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «WHY»
The term «why» is very widely used and occupies the 518 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
FREQUENCY
Very widely used
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «why» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of why
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «why».
FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «WHY» OVER TIME
The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «why» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «why» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.
Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about why
10 QUOTES WITH «WHY»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word why.
Having a chance to be someone other than yourself and to act out stuff that makes people look at you, like, wow, and that’s why I love acting so much.
That women are mysterious and unknowable is something every young man grows up believing. Men, on the other hand, never think of themselves as mysterious or confusing, and we are often at a loss as to why women want to figure us out.
I tell people, if you really want me to look that good, why don’t you cough up about $2 million more and hire Alec or Billy? If you want me to do it, this is what you get.
If we can send a man to the moon, then why don’t we send a woman?
So many people are walking around looking so grim all the time. I just never understand why.
So far things are going my way. I am known in the hospice as The Man Who Wouldn’t Die. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I think some people, not many, are starting to wonder why I’m still around.
Why is it that when we get older, we get more fearful?
I think it is immensely difficult to get the U.S. interested in non-U.S. topics. I don’t think this is because the average American reader is disinterested, but more because of publishers playing it safe: if a thriller based in L.A. is a sure winner, why spend money plugging one based in Paris — or Bangkok?
I don’t know why, but at the end of games, for some reason, I just get more confident. I just think it’s natural. I think it’s something I’ve embraced from a young age.
The reason why it is so difficult for existing firms to capitalize on disruptive innovations is that their processes and their business model that make them good at the existing business actually make them bad at competing for the disruption.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «WHY»
Discover the use of why in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to why and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Why Social Justice Matters
» Brian Barry exposes the shoddy logic and distortion of reality that underpins this ideology.
Written in an easy-to-read style by distinguished social historian Charles Tilly, the book explores the manner in which people claim, establish, negotiate, repair, rework, or terminate relations with others through the reasons they give.
3
Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take …
In business, it doesn’t matter what you do, it matters WHY you do it. Start with Why analyses leaders like Martin Luther King Jr and Steve Jobs and discovers that they all think in the same way — they all started with why.
An Omnium-Gatherum of World War & World Series, Supersitions & Psychoses, the Tooth Fairy Rule & Turkey City Lexicon & Other of Life’s Wherefores.
5
Why People Obey the Law
People obey the law if they believe it’s legitimate, not because they fear punishment—this is the startling conclusion of Tom Tyler’s classic study.
6
Why So Slow?: The Advancement of Women
Virginia Valian uses concepts and data from psychology, sociology, economics, and biology to explain the disparity in the professional advancement of men and women.
At a time when faster and easier electronic media threaten to eclipse reading and literature, the author explores reasons for reading and demonstrates the aesthetic pleasure reading can bring.
8
WHY THE WILD THINGS ARE
This is the first book to examine children’s many connections to animals and to explore their developmental significance.
9
Why Men Marry Bitches: A Woman’s Guide to Winning Her Man’s …
Shares advice about such topics as the ways in which men avoid commitment, using mental challenges to keep a man interested, and increasing one’s attractiveness by assuming an air of confidence.
10
How to Read Superhero Comics and why
In this book, Geoff Klock presents a study of the Third Movement of superhero comic books. He avoids, at all costs, the temptation to refer to this movement as «Postmodern,» «Deconstructionist,» or something equally tedious.
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «WHY»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term why is used in the context of the following news items.
Why Circa failed
A front page led by the day’s biggest news. A selection of stories, chosen by editors, arranged more or less by importance. And inside, a bundle of sections … «The Verge, Jun 15»
Why Don’t the Poor Rise Up?
Why are today’s working poor so quiescent? I’m not the only one posing this question. “Why aren’t the poor storming the barricades?” asks The Economist. “Why … «New York Times, Jun 15»
Why I Can’t Forgive Dylann Roof
I DO NOT forgive Dylann Roof, a racist terrorist whose name I hate saying or knowing. I have no immediate connection to what happened in Charleston, S.C., … «New York Times, Jun 15»
Why Women Apologize and Should Stop
So, in the words of a popular 2014 Pantene ad, why are women always apologizing? One commonly posited theory, which informs everything from shampoo … «New York Times, Jun 15»
Why We Love to Hate HR…and What HR Can Do About It
Like any other function, HR must show why the issues it addresses matter to the business and that it has sensible ways to manage them. A few years ago the … «blogs.hbr.org, Jun 15»
Why Startups Love Moleskines
The popularity of Moleskine notebooks seems to defy the widespread worship of technological innovations coming out of Silicon Valley. Credit PHOTOGRAPH … «The New Yorker, Jun 15»
‘Why Grow Up?’ by Susan Neiman
A great deal of modern popular culture — including just about everything pertaining to what French savants like to call le nouvel âge d’or de la comédie … «New York Times, Jun 15»
Lost Posture: Why Some Indigenous Cultures May Not Have Back …
Editor’s note, June 10: We have added an acknowledgement of several sources that Esther Gokhale used while developing her theories on back pain. «NPR, Jun 15»
Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans
ONE late summer afternoon when I was 17, I went with my mother to the local bank, a long-defunct institution whose name I cannot remember, to apply for my … «New York Times, Jun 15»
Why Do Airplane Windows Have Tiny Holes?
It’s time for another sky-high edition of What’s That Thing, Slate’s column that examines the details of the world that are hiding in plain (or plane) sight. «Slate Magazine, May 15»
REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Why [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/why>. Apr 2023 ».
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Discover all that is hidden in the words on 
Britannica Dictionary definition of WHY
1
:
for what reason or purpose
-
Why did you quit your job?
-
Why are you laughing? [=what are you laughing about?]
-
Why is the sky blue?
-
Why didn’t you call me?
-
Why didn’t I think of that?
-
“I can’t go out tonight.” “Why not?”
2
— used to offer a suggestion or to say that a course of action is not necessary
-
If you don’t want to go, why not just say so?
-
Instead of calling, why not e-mail instead?
-
Why should I care about that?
-
Why don’t you come over for dinner? [=we would like to have you over for dinner]
-
You deserve the best treatment. Why settle for less? [=you shouldn’t be happy with anything less]
-
“I’ll try calling again.” “Why bother?” [=it’s not worth the trouble]
3
— used to express irritation or annoyance
-
Why can’t you make up your mind?
-
Why must I always repeat myself?
-
Why would anyone say such a thing?
-
Why oh why did I say something so stupid?
Britannica Dictionary definition of WHY
1
:
the cause, reason, or purpose for which
-
I know why he did it.
-
It’s easy to see why she fell in love with him.
-
He’s a very good player. That’s why he made the team.
2
:
for which
-
The reason why they succeeded is obvious. They worked really hard.
-
Give me one good reason why I should stay.
Britannica Dictionary definition of WHY
the whys and (the) wherefores
:
the reasons for something
-
She explained the whys and the wherefores of the sudden price increase.
Britannica Dictionary definition of WHY
somewhat old-fashioned
— used at the beginning of a statement especially to express surprise
-
Why, I can’t imagine such a thing!
-
“Do you know him?” “Why, yes! We know him quite well.”
-
“Would you like another drink?” “Why, yes. Thank you.”
-
If I want a drink, why, I’ll just get it myself!
-
Why, of course! That makes perfect sense.
- Top Definitions
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
[ wahy, hwahy ]
/ waɪ, ʰwaɪ /
See synonyms for: why / whys on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
adverb
for what? for what reason, cause, or purpose?: Why did you behave so badly?
conjunction
for what cause or reason: I don’t know why he is leaving.
for which; on account of which (usually after reason to introduce a relative clause): the reason why he refused to go.
the reason for which: That is why he returned.
noun, plural whys.
a question concerning the cause or reason for which something is done, achieved, etc.: a child’s unending hows and whys.
the cause or reason: the whys and wherefores of a troublesome situation.
interjection
(used as an expression of surprise, hesitation, etc., or sometimes a mere expletive): Why, it’s all gone!
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of why
before 900; Middle English; Old English hwī, hwȳ, instrumental case of hwætwhat; cognate with Old Norse hvī
usage note for why
Words nearby why
whsle., whs. stk., whump, whup, WH-word, why, Whyalla, whydah, whydunnit, why’ll, why’re
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to why
How to use why in a sentence
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I mean, even Ron Fournier of National Journal, usually devoted to the pox-on-both-houses, why-can’t-Obama-lead?
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DB: Why/how does Credit Suisse feel like a good fit for you?
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Ferguson reverses those emphases—focusing solely on this historic meltdown, the who/what/where/why/how.
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Till now one with sudden hiss: «But-good Christ-just look-why, the roof’s leaning—!»
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And what is it that brings disaster on those who employ the phalanx?Why the phalanx fails.
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It needed a beefy person with fat legs and a large amount of inexplicable dignity, a regular God-knows-why loftiness.
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Weren’t they as good as gold this morning, Emily?and yesterday!why they never murmured, as good as gold they were.
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Like other sharp children, Why—Why was always asking metaphysical conundrums.
British Dictionary definitions for why
adverb
- for what reason, purpose, or cause?why are you here?
- (used in indirect questions)tell me why you’re here
pronoun
for or because of whichthere is no reason why he shouldn’t come
noun plural whys
(usually plural) the reason, purpose, or cause of something (esp in the phrase the whys and wherefores)
interjection
an introductory expression of surprise, disagreement, indignation, etcwhy, don’t be silly!
Word Origin for why
Old English hwī; related to Old Norse hvī, Gothic hveileiks what kind of, Latin quī
Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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