everythingev‧ery‧thing /ˈevriθɪŋ/ ●●● S1 W1 pronoun 
Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. I decided to tell her everything. Apart from the bus arriving late, everything else seemed to be going according to plan.2all the things in your life, work etc: Everything’s fine at the moment. I felt that everything was going wrong.3be/mean everything (to somebody) to be the most important thing in someone’s life: Money isn’t everything. His children mean everything to him.4have everything to have all the things that people want in their lives: What do you buy for the man who has everything?5and everything spoken and a lot of other similar things: Tina’s worried about her work and everything.6have everything going for you to have all the qualities that are likely to make you succeed: You shouldn’t worry so much – you’ve got everything going for you.7everything but the kitchen sink informal all the equipment that you need and also a lot of things that you do not need – used humorously: I think we’ve packed everything but the kitchen sink!GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?You use a singular verb after everything: · Everything was the same. ✗Don’t say: Everything were the same.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- "How's everything at work?" "Very busy."
- Do you have everything you need?
- Maria has succeeded at almost everything she has tried to do.
Longman Language Activatorall of a group of things or people
all the things or people in a group: · There was no one in the office -- they were all having lunch.· The new government has banned all political parties.we/you/them etc all: · He thanked us all for coming.· I've read five of his books, and I'm not going to stop until I've read them all.all the/these/their/my etc: · Did you take all these pictures yourself?· All his clothes were spread around the room.· All the teachers in my school are women.all of: · I've used up all of my traveler's checks.· She invited all of her friends to the party.almost/nearly all: · The Prime Minister's plan would cut almost all subsidies to state-run industries.· Nearly all news organizations have refused to broadcast the victim's name during the trial.all dogs/cars/children etc (=use this to make a general statement about things or people of the same kind): · All mammals are warm-blooded.· All cars over 5 years old must have a test certificate.
all the things in a group, or all the things that someone says or does: · The customs officer asked us to take everything out of our suitcases.· Don't believe everything you read in the newspapers.· Everything in the store costs less than $10.everything else (=all other things): · I have a tent and a sleeping-bag, and Ben said he'd lend me everything else I need for the camping trip.
all people or all the people in a particular group: · I think everyone enjoyed the party.· If everybody is ready, I'll begin.· Why is everyone so excited about this tax cut?
British informal all the things in a group or set, considered together: · I left my purse with my cheque book and car keys on the kitchen table and thieves broke in and stole the lot.· Janine bought four cream cakes, but her friends didn't turn up for dinner so she ate the lot herself.
all -- used only with singular nouns: · Every room in the house was painted white.· She bought presents for every member of her family.every single (=use this to emphasize that you really mean everyone or everything, especially when this is surprising): · It rained every single day of our vacation.every single one/every last one: · The police questioned every single one of the passengers on the plane.
all -- use this to emphasize that you mean every separate person or thing in a group: · She had a ring on each finger of her right hand.· They read through each job application very carefully.· The president shook hands with each member of the team.each of: · We will consider each of these questions in turn.· She gave each of them a plate of food.each one: · George and Elizabeth had visited 15 apartments and had found something wrong with each one.in/for/to etc each: · She dug several tiny holes in the soil, planting a seed in each.we/they/us etc each: · My brother and I each have our own room.· She gave us each a pen and a piece of paper.
formal use this to say that something is true of every single one of the people or things in a large group: · Every department in this city, without exception, has experienced cutbacks.almost without exception: · Economists agreed on the President's proposal, almost without exception.
spoken informal everything in a group of similar things or all the things that are needed for a particular activity: · "What would you like on your hotdog -- mustard, ketchup, relish?" "Give me the works."· The school needs new computers, calculators, chairs, cooking utensils...basically, the works.
also the whole nine yards American spoken informal everything that you could possibly want, or expect to have: · He bought the computer, the printer, and the modem - the whole shebang.· It sounds like a great job offer -- benefits, retirement, the whole enchilada.· The guy in immigration wanted to see the whole nine yards -- passport, birth certificate, driver's license.
all of something all of something -- used especially with uncountable nouns: all the/this/that/my etc: · He spends all his money on beer and cigarettes.· I've seen all her movies.· Did you eat all that bread?all of the/this/that/my etc: · I enjoyed the book although I didn't understand all of it.it all: · Where's my change? You didn't spend it all, did you?all day/week/year etc (=the whole of a period of time): · I spent all day cleaning the house.
all of something that is large, long, or has a lot of parts, for example a large area of land, a long period of time, or a large group of people: · I didn't see her again for a whole year.· "I want the whole area searched!" said the chief of police.· She was so frightened, her whole body was shaking.· Nora had spent her whole life trying to find happiness.the whole of something (=all of a particular thing, time, or place): · She spent the whole of the journey complaining about her boyfriend.· The Romans conquered almost the whole of Western Europe.
all of something -- use this especially to show that you are annoyed or surprised by this: · I wasted an entire day waiting at the airport.· We realized that our entire conversation had been recorded.· This function of the word processor allows you to correct the entire document before printing.
the whole of something -- use this to emphasize that someone uses all of something, or that something covers all of an area: · Every inch of my niece's wall is covered with posters of pop groups.· We had to use every last bit of our savings.· I watched him drain every last drop out of the bottle.
including all of something such as an event, process, or piece of writing: · I've read the book three times from start to finish.· The whole case was badly handled from start to finish.
spoken including every part of something -- use this about someone moving, buying or selling all of something: · He moved the whole company, lock, stock, and barrel, to Mexico.· The Knolls have owned the town lock, stock, and barrel for 15 years.
affecting or including all of something affecting everything or every part of a situation: · They want a total ban on cigarette advertising.· My parents had complete control over my life.· The satellite TV station is providing total coverage of the Olympic Games.
: blanket decision/statement/term etc one that affects every part of a situation: · A blanket requirement was announced by education officials -- all schools had to cut their budgets by 25%.· Dementia is a blanket term for various types of psychiatric disorder.
including or involving all or almost all the parts of a situation: · Even though some of the details are badly done, the overall effect of the painting is very dramatic.· His attitude towards his job seemed consistent with his overall approach to life.· Conference members agreed on an overall approach to drug abuse that focuses on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.
involving all possible parts of an idea or system: · We've done a global study on the company's weaknesses.· Simon & Schuster said it no longer wanted the smaller company because it did not fit into its global strategy.
: all-embracing concept/statement/term etc (=one in which all features of a situation have been thought of and included) · The prison governor now has all-embracing powers to deal with any situation in the way he thinks fit.· Physicists are searching for one all-embracing theory that covers matter, energy, radiation, and gravity.
a very large number of people or things a lot of things or people - use this when you want to emphasize that you are talking about a very large number. You can use this informally when the number is actually less than a hundred: · Hundreds were left homeless by the flood.hundreds/thousands of: · I've seen that movie hundreds of times.· It will cost thousands of dollars to repair the house.· From the 1880s to the early 1900s thousands of workers came to Hawaii from Japan.hundreds and hundreds/thousands and thousandsalso hundreds upon hundreds/thousands upon thousands: · The temple was filled with hundreds and hundreds of lanterns.by the hundreds/thousands: · Starving animals in the region are dying by the thousands.
use this when you want to emphasize that you are talking about something important: · We have seen a great many changes in the last twenty years.· There are still a great many questions that remain unanswered.a great many of: · The fire had destroyed a great many of the family's possessions.
an extremely large number of things or people, that cannot be counted or imagined: · The mountains around the lake are filled with countless hiking trails.· There are innumerable variations on the folktale, but the basic story is the same throughout Europe.countless millions (=an extremely large group of people): · His music has brought joy to countless millions.
informal an extremely large number of things of different types - use this especially when you think there are too many things: · When my parents come to stay with us, they bring everything but the kitchen sink!· Chatham refused to participate in what he called "everything but the kitchen sink" art shows.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Apart from the bus arriving late, everything else seemed to be going according to plan.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Marsha visits her son almost every day. The hotel has everything you could possibly desire. My family lost everything in the war. Are you sure that you have everything you need? I owe it all to you. Doctors did everything they possibly could to save his life. Jenny closed her eyes and tried to shut everything out. Why do you always have to spoil everything?
Apart from the bus arriving late, everything else seemed to be going according to plan. Marsha visits her son almost every day. (=deserve any bad things that happen to you)· She's behaved really stupidly and she deserves all she gets.
The hotel has everything you could possibly desire. (=completely stop everything you are doing)· When my mother was sick, I just dropped everything and flew to be with her in Seattle.
My family lost everything in the war. (=be very important to someone) He meant the world to her.
He meant the world to her. Are you sure that you have everything you need? I owe it all to you.· We must do everything possible to limit our impact on the Earth's environment.
Doctors did everything they possibly could to save his life. Jenny closed her eyes and tried to shut everything out. Why do you always have to spoil everything?· If something goes wrong with your machine, you can take it back to the dealer.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► something is not all/everything it’s cracked up to be► your heart’s desire/everything your heart could desire► more ... than the rest/the others/everything else put together
1each thing or all things: - Barry had everything going for him -- charm, looks, intelligence, but still he was unemployed.
- Dan seemed to have everything going for him in college.
- She was bright and pretty and had everything going for her.
- It seems to have everything going for it.
- The events have everything going for them.
- Burglars broke in and took everything but the kitchen sink.
- When my parents come to stay with us, they bring everything but the kitchen sink!
- Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
- Walt's family means everything to him.
- Beckwith meant everything to him, she'd recognized that from the first.
- Does that mean everything deserves a Nobel Prize?
- It meant everything to her to be able to play her senior year.
- On the other hand, a word can not mean everything and something at the same time.
- She needed to be everything she could be and London would provide for that.
- Timing can be everything, even in rocket science.
- Well, that seems to be everything so far as tomorrow is concerned.
- He wants his friends to have everything.
- I have everything that others packed on to trains, starving in camps, tortured, gassed, bludgeoned and shot do not.
- I want to have everything ready in good time.
- If he could have that, Kingsley believed, he could have everything.
- Insurers have everything to gain by supporting clinical trials.
- It is important to check this list ahead of time so that you have everything ready to complete the demonstration.
- It seemed they could have everything merely because they were boys, they would not have to sacrifice anything for anything else.
- Still, you can't have everything.
- Forbes would keep it pure, getting rid of the home mortgage, medical expense and charitable deductions and everything else.
- Forms and everything and she said yes.
- He is also pledging his private jet and everything else his family owns.
- I walked out the door and everything had different colors to it.
- I was vulnerable to everyone and everything.
- My hearing was gone momentarily, and everything seemed to be in slow motion.
- The movies had broken through to a vast new public and everything was on a different scale.
- For much of 1981 and early 1982 the Social Democrats seemed to carry all before them.
- Hollywood had carried all before it but even the Hollywood product was fairly diversified.
- Neath carried all before them in winning the inaugural Heineken League last season - or did they?
- The conventional view, then as now, was that Lanfranc had carried all before him in asserting the rights of Canterbury.
- Aunt Hortense: Babsy Hepworth's bronzes, everything but the kitchen sink.
- I always feel they are open meetings in everything but name.
- Since then the craggy little republic of 650,000-odd people has been independent in all but name.
- Soon Jack and Courtney's marriage was also over in everything but name.
- The players should therefore be treated like the professionals they are in all but name, and be paid for their work.
- Andrew and I spent many hours on the Windrush porch discussing almost everything under the sun from party politics to mystic transcendentalism.
- Some people think that the police can do everything under the sun like, but of course you can't.
- There literally is everything under the sun, and you're free to do as much or as little as you want.
- They discussed everything under the sun.
Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. I decided to tell her everything. Apart from the bus arriving late, everything else seemed to be going according to plan.2all the things in your life, work etc: Everything’s fine at the moment. I felt that everything was going wrong.3be/mean everything (to somebody) to be the most important thing in someone’s life: Money isn’t everything. His children mean everything to him.4have everything to have all the things that people want in their lives: What do you buy for the man who has everything?5and everything spoken and a lot of other similar things: Tina’s worried about her work and everything.6have everything going for you to have all the qualities that are likely to make you succeed: You shouldn’t worry so much – you’ve got everything going for you.7everything but the kitchen sink informal all the equipment that you need and also a lot of things that you do not need – used humorously: I think we’ve packed everything but the kitchen sink!GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?You use a singular verb after everything: · Everything was the same. ✗Don’t say: Everything were the same.- amateur
- Amateur Athletic Association
- Amateur Athletic Association of England
- amateurish
- amateurishly
- amateurishness
- amateurism
- amatory
- amaze
- amazed
- amazement
- amazing
- Amazing Grace
- amazingly
- Amazon
- Amazonian
- ambassador
- ambassadorial
- amber
- ambiance
- ambidextrous
- ambience
- ambient
- ambient advertising
- ambiguity