why1 adverbwhy2 interjectionwhy3 noun
whywhy1 /waɪ/ ●●● S1 W1 adverb 
Longman Language Activatorwhat you say when you wish that you had not done something
spoken say this when you feel you have done the wrong thing, because things would have been better if you had done something differently: · Why did I say I'd clean the car? It's going to take hours!· He's such an idiot! Why did I ever find him attractive?· I'm so stupid. Why didn't I just write it down?
spoken say this when you are very sorry about something you have said or done, for example something embarrassing or upsetting, or something you did not want people to know: · I could've kicked myself when I realized she was standing right behind me.· I have kicked myself every day since then for not checking again to see that the doors were locked.
what you say to suggest something use this to suggest something politely, especially when you think someone may be making a mistake: · Can I make a suggestion? Try adding a little more flour.· May I make a suggestion? I think we should stop and look at the map.
spoken use this for formally suggesting something that you think should be done, especially at a meeting: · I propose that we continue this meeting tomorrow.
informal say this when you think it would be a good idea to do something: · Why don't you wait for me downstairs? I won't be long.· If David wants someone to go with him, why doesn't he ask Jacky? I'm sure she'd enjoy it.· Why don't we go watch a movie tonight?
informal use this to suggest something or offer something: · "How about a brandy?'' said Tom.· What about going out for lunch one day next week? When are you free?
spoken use this to suggest something in a gentle way: · Maybe we should try again tomorrow.· Perhaps you ought to introduce her to my son. They should get on well.
: let's go/have/do etc use this when you want to suggest something that you and the people you are with should do: · Come on, let's dance.· We both need a break. Let's go away for the weekend.let's not: · Let's not argue on our anniversary.don't let's (British): · Come on, don't let's waste any more time here.
use this to suggest something that is not very interesting or exciting, when you do not have any better ideas: · It's too late to go to the movies so we may as well watch TV.· I think we might as well buy this one. We're not going to find anything cheaper.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
‘I won’t be able to come into work tomorrow.’ ‘Why not?’ There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends. It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
‘I won’t be able to come into work tomorrow.’ ‘Why not?’ There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends. (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’ It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?· There are even those who ask why they can not be inspected by those who advise them.· Baptist asked why the easterners invaded their churches instead of heading for the heathen out yonder.· But also anomalies: a reader asks why we have Yorkshiremen but not Northamptonshiremen.· In a closed meeting in the home of John Cotton, the ministers asked why she attacked them.· In 1994 Nicklaus was asked why so few black people made it in golf.· This puzzles them: they ask why, if they are so rich, life is not easier.· I hear young people ask why they can not find homes.· The disease model simply asks why child abuse occurs and how can it be prevented or reduced.
· It also explains why it is virtually certain that Britain's main trunk lines will rely on optical fibre.· That may help explain why in 1995· That probably explains why public opinion is broadly in favour of euthanasia, or at least certain forms of it.· This would explain why your difficulty might be persisting, but it does not explain why it started in the first place.· These small variations would explain why galaxies formed into clusters, and stars into galaxies.· Here I should explain why over a hundred thousand miners were striking against the federal courts.· It became more difficult for devout persons to explain why unforeseen disaster should overtake a religious group.· That explains why thrifts continued to buy mortgage bonds even as they sold their loans.
· Demanding to know why, he began to shout at her.· It was all so obvious he didn't know why he hadn't worked it out before.· He knew he was dying and wanted to know why it was taking so long.· He wanted to know why he couldn't go to boarding-school like all the others.· Do you know why that is?· His silence frightened Carrie and she knew why, suddenly.· He wanted to know why the dollar was plunging.
· He floundered in panic as, for a brief moment, he could not remember why he was there.· You need to really remember why you are council members, because you are not doing your jobs.· Then she remembered why Nahum had come home in a terrible temper and called her unrepeatable names.· Tonight she remembers why she loves the game.· I can not really remember why.· The old remember why the revolution was started and many still hold the original ideals dear, whatever may have happened in between.· She tried to remember why a gathering storm upset people.· Usually she could not remember why she had wandered off.
· Erlich could see why she wanted to deliver her flowers.· We shall see why people liked civilized society and why other peoples copied Sumer.· I could see why - and hear.· It's not hard to see why even when clean, Kamrok's verses are very funny.· Indeed, it is hard to see why so many do.· It's not hard to see why critics hate the film.· It is easy to see why the conventional wisdom resists so stoutly such change.
· I never could understand why a letter typed with a word processor was any less personal than one produced with a typewriter.· I never understood why, when I asked one of them a question, the other answered.· I understood why, after what Rupert had told me.· He never could understand why we could not do it.· He cared a lot about other people and could never understand why some one should want to hurt him.· So you can understand why when you called I wanted to slam down the phone.· That was when she understood why he looked so strange.· She was quite unable to understand why she was not allowed to leave.
· I wonder why he left his car in Barrowclough Road.· You may wonder why sleeping pills and tranquilizers are on a list of drugs that can cause insomnia.· He seldom wasted time wondering why people wanted other people dead.· Lance wondered why no articles were done about how she spent her Christmas.· From this he deduced that the boiler was too small and this led him on to wondering why the engine was so inefficient.· You may have wondered why your dentist wears gloves and perhaps a mask when treating you.· The effect on the jury might well have been to make them wonder why W did not answer if he was innocent.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► why oh why ...?PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► what/why/how etc on earth ...?► My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?► what/how/why etc in heaven’s name► what’s (all) the hurry?/why (all) the hurry?► I don’t know how/why etc► (why) must you ...?► how/why should ... ?
1used to ask or talk about the reason for something: - "Maybe we could drive over to the beach today." "Yeah, why not."
- But why not reward teams that played the best during the entire year?
- But if every now and then real life is generous enough to throw us a dizzying love affair, why not?
- But then ask: why not?
- Demand immediate repeat immediate repeat immediate dispatch of krytron or immediate repeat immediate repeat immediate explanation of why not available.
- If you have a small bathroom, why not consider a radiator with a built-in towel rail?
- Since so much of house is pure beats, why not buy your funk in skeletal form too?
- Sure, and why not a cane to poke at baskets?
- Well then, why not simply erase them?
- Why don't you give me your number, and I'll call you.
- Why not have the picnic in Glendale?
- Why me? Why can't someone else drive you?
- After nine years of marriage to her I did not have a clue myself.
- Now what the devil was he to do?
- So who the devil are these two engaging, literate, drug-free chatterers sitting down the pub?
- What the devil are you getting at?
- What the devil does he want?
- What the devil have you been doing to yourself?
- What the devil was he talking about?
- Why the devil do you think I came haring over here?
- Why the devil was she so stubborn?
- She admits there are no jobs and wonders what the hell she is doing.
- What the hell does the reaction matter if you want to do it?
- What the hell was he talking about?
- What the hell was she playing at?
- Where the hell have you been?
- Why the hell couldn't you have told us?
- Wondering what the hell he's up to.
- Actually science depends upon expert witnesses who indeed are not infallible.
- And why indeed should gamesmanship not exist in disabled sport when it is rife everywhere else?
- Meant especially for Prior Robert, I should hazard, who indeed thinks he chose her and ranks as her proprietor.
- The community service that is most interesting is by those who indeed are intellectually productive.
- But it is not quite what it seems.
- Only his shoes seemed to be a little too pointed - not quite what men one knew would wear.
- So Feuerbach's sensuous anthropology, much praised even by Karl Barth, is not quite what it seems.
- Somehow we get the feeling this is not quite what Tucson Mayor George Miller had in mind.
- That is not quite what we suggested, which was that it should have regard to affordability.
- The whole situation was very unusual and not quite what I expected it to be.
- They are not quite what I should have expected from a man like Serafin.
- This is not quite what was expected.
- But that's all the more reason why we should go off this time with a car well filled, eh?
- If some material is lost already, that is all the more reason to stop a lapse becoming a loophole.
- That means there is all the more reason to oppose the willed destruction of old things.
- That possibility is all the more reason to end the conflict soon.
- This is all the more reason to find a more democratic way of deciding the state for the first primary.
- "Are you sure they'll let us walk on their land?" "I don't see why not."
Why are you crying? Why do we have to take all these tests? ‘She wants to meet you.’ ‘Why?’ ‘I won’t be able to come into work tomorrow.’ ‘Why not?’ I have no idea why the television isn’t working. Simon loves you – that’s why he wants to be with you. He’s angry with me and I don’t know why. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends.why on earth/why ever etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help? ‘I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ‘Why ever not?’2used to introduce a question that shows you do not think it is necessary to do something: Why worry? You can’t do anything about it. Why waste time going to the bank when you can do it all over the Internet?SPOKEN PHRASES3why not? used to say that you agree with a suggestion: ‘We could invite John and Barbara.’ ‘Yes, why not?’4 why doesn’t somebody do something? a) (also why not do something?) used to make a suggestion: Why don’t you bring over a video for us to watch? Why not relax and enjoy the atmosphere? b)used to say angrily that someone should do something: Why don’t you mind your own business?5why somebody? used to ask why a particular person has been chosen or is suffering: Why me? Why can’t someone else drive you?6 why oh why ...? used to show that you are very sorry or angry about something: Why oh why did I say those horrible things?why1 adverbwhy2 interjectionwhy3 noun
whywhy2 interjection old-fashioned COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?
It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► what/why/how etc on earth ...?► My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?► what/how/why etc in heaven’s name► what’s (all) the hurry?/why (all) the hurry?► I don’t know how/why etc► (why) must you ...?► how/why should ... ?
used when you are surprised or have suddenly realized something: - After nine years of marriage to her I did not have a clue myself.
- Now what the devil was he to do?
- So who the devil are these two engaging, literate, drug-free chatterers sitting down the pub?
- What the devil are you getting at?
- What the devil does he want?
- What the devil have you been doing to yourself?
- What the devil was he talking about?
- Why the devil do you think I came haring over here?
- Why the devil was she so stubborn?
- She admits there are no jobs and wonders what the hell she is doing.
- What the hell does the reaction matter if you want to do it?
- What the hell was he talking about?
- What the hell was she playing at?
- Where the hell have you been?
- Why the hell couldn't you have told us?
- Wondering what the hell he's up to.
- Actually science depends upon expert witnesses who indeed are not infallible.
- And why indeed should gamesmanship not exist in disabled sport when it is rife everywhere else?
- Meant especially for Prior Robert, I should hazard, who indeed thinks he chose her and ranks as her proprietor.
- The community service that is most interesting is by those who indeed are intellectually productive.
- But it is not quite what it seems.
- Only his shoes seemed to be a little too pointed - not quite what men one knew would wear.
- So Feuerbach's sensuous anthropology, much praised even by Karl Barth, is not quite what it seems.
- Somehow we get the feeling this is not quite what Tucson Mayor George Miller had in mind.
- That is not quite what we suggested, which was that it should have regard to affordability.
- The whole situation was very unusual and not quite what I expected it to be.
- They are not quite what I should have expected from a man like Serafin.
- This is not quite what was expected.
- But that's all the more reason why we should go off this time with a car well filled, eh?
- If some material is lost already, that is all the more reason to stop a lapse becoming a loophole.
- That means there is all the more reason to oppose the willed destruction of old things.
- That possibility is all the more reason to end the conflict soon.
- This is all the more reason to find a more democratic way of deciding the state for the first primary.
- "Are you sure they'll let us walk on their land?" "I don't see why not."
Why, look who’s here! And I thought to myself, why, I can do that.why1 adverbwhy2 interjectionwhy3 noun
whywhy3 noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?
It’s difficult to describe how I feel. Who on earth do you suppose could have done this? How do you suppose he got here?PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► what/why/how etc on earth ...?► My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?► what/how/why etc in heaven’s name► what’s (all) the hurry?/why (all) the hurry?► I don’t know how/why etc► (why) must you ...?► how/why should ... ?
the whys and (the) wherefores the reasons or explanations for something: - After nine years of marriage to her I did not have a clue myself.
- Now what the devil was he to do?
- So who the devil are these two engaging, literate, drug-free chatterers sitting down the pub?
- What the devil are you getting at?
- What the devil does he want?
- What the devil have you been doing to yourself?
- What the devil was he talking about?
- Why the devil do you think I came haring over here?
- Why the devil was she so stubborn?
- She admits there are no jobs and wonders what the hell she is doing.
- What the hell does the reaction matter if you want to do it?
- What the hell was he talking about?
- What the hell was she playing at?
- Where the hell have you been?
- Why the hell couldn't you have told us?
- Wondering what the hell he's up to.
- Actually science depends upon expert witnesses who indeed are not infallible.
- And why indeed should gamesmanship not exist in disabled sport when it is rife everywhere else?
- Meant especially for Prior Robert, I should hazard, who indeed thinks he chose her and ranks as her proprietor.
- The community service that is most interesting is by those who indeed are intellectually productive.
- But it is not quite what it seems.
- Only his shoes seemed to be a little too pointed - not quite what men one knew would wear.
- So Feuerbach's sensuous anthropology, much praised even by Karl Barth, is not quite what it seems.
- Somehow we get the feeling this is not quite what Tucson Mayor George Miller had in mind.
- That is not quite what we suggested, which was that it should have regard to affordability.
- The whole situation was very unusual and not quite what I expected it to be.
- They are not quite what I should have expected from a man like Serafin.
- This is not quite what was expected.
- But that's all the more reason why we should go off this time with a car well filled, eh?
- If some material is lost already, that is all the more reason to stop a lapse becoming a loophole.
- That means there is all the more reason to oppose the willed destruction of old things.
- That possibility is all the more reason to end the conflict soon.
- This is all the more reason to find a more democratic way of deciding the state for the first primary.
- "Are you sure they'll let us walk on their land?" "I don't see why not."
The whys and the wherefores of these procedures need to be explained.