You use anything in statements with negative meaning to indicate in a general way that nothing is present or that an action or event does not or cannot happen.
We can't do anything.
Dad sat, not saying anything.
She couldn't see or hear anything at all.
By the time I get home, I'm too tired to do anything active.
I couldn't manage anything without you.
Synonyms: a thing, NEhng [text messaging] More Synonyms of anything
2. pronoun
You use anything in questions and conditional clauses to ask or talk about whether something is present or happening.
What happened, is anything wrong?
Did you find anything?
Is there anything you can do to help?
If there's anything I could do for him, I would.
3. pronoun
You can use anything before words which indicate the kind of thing you are talking about.
More than anything else, he wanted to become a teacher.
Anything that's cheap this year will be even cheaper next year.
She collects anything that has charm.
4. pronoun
You use anything to emphasize a possible thing, event, or situation, when you are saying that it could be any one of a very large number of things.
[emphasis]
He is young, fresh, and ready for anything.
At that point, anything could happen.
He is convinced he just has to say 'please' and he can have anything.
5. pronoun
You use anything in expressions such as anything near, anything close to and anything like to emphasize a statement that you are making.
[emphasis]
The only way he can live anything near a normal life is to have an operation.
Only Cowans played anything close to his true form.
Plainer examples of the early period do not fetch anything like these sums.
6. pronoun
When you do not want to be exact, you use anything to talk about a particular range of things or quantities.
The cows produce anything from 25 to 40 litres of milk per day.
7.
See as anything
8.
See anything but
9.
See would not do sth for anything/would not be sth for anything
10.
See if anything
11.
See or anything
English Easy Learning GrammarIndefinite pronounsThe indefinite pronouns are used when you do not know or do not need to say preciselywho or what you are referring to. The noun phrase which they substitute ... Read more
anything in British English
(ˈɛnɪˌθɪŋ)
pronoun
1.
any object, event, action, etc, whatever
anything might happen
noun
2.
a thing of any kind
have you anything to declare?
adverb
3.
in any way
she wasn't anything like her parents
4. anything but
5. like anything
anything in American English
(ˈəniˌθɪŋ)
pronoun
1.
any object, event, fact, etc.
do you know anything about it?
noun
2.
a thing, no matter of what kind
do anything you want
adverb
3.
in any way; at all
is he anything like his father?
Idioms:
anything but
Examples of 'anything' in a sentence
anything
Not that there was anything humdrum about this beautifully upscale collection.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You need to grow slowly but nobody wants to do anything slowly now.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Now he can do anything he wants with his life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The threat to his players appeared more internal than anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The fight more nearly resembled the battles of a generation ago than anything seen in this war.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
No one who knows anything about elite sport will be surprised at this.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
You like anything that has been battered and deep-fried.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We contacted them on the same day and didn't hear anything back.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
You'll have to go a fair way to find anything better!
The Sun (2016)
There is little evidence they are anything of the kind.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We know if we want anything that we have to work our socks off.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The plane was too high for him to see anything below.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
That is better than anything you can obtain on conventional deposit accounts.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Is there anything nearer home you could do?
Westcott, Patsy Alternative Health Care for Women (1991)
We cannot seem to get people to talk about anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Nobody talks about anything other than the next game but there is a bigger picture.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The victim will say anything to stop the pain.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
They were unavailable for comment yesterday but have talked previously about the agony of not hearing anything.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Our goal difference is good but we cannot take anything for granted.
The Sun (2008)
Want to go in with hardened armour and blow up anything in your way?
The Sun (2013)
Yet bargaining is not a process in which anything goes.
A Conceptual View of Human Resource Management: Strategic Objectives, Environments,Functions
We still might not be doing anything close to what we ought to be doing.
Christianity Today (2000)
If anything happens it will be a tragedy for all concerned.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They look more like angels than anything else on this planet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She proceeded not to do anything of the kind.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She can get anything she wants out of me.
The Sun (2013)
Now he returns to see if anything has changed.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Is there anything you can do to avoid this?
Westcott, Patsy Alternative Health Care for Women (1991)
Anything nearer than that felt more than intrusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It seemed more to do with the zeitgeist than anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Is there any willingness at the top to do anything about it?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She left the court looking glum and without saying anything.
The Sun (2011)
Who knows anything about that guy?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We don't know anything about him before the game or after the game.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
anything
British English: anything /ˈɛnɪˌθɪŋ/ PRONOUN
You use anything to talk about a thing, when it does not matter which one.
I can't see anything.
American English: anything
Arabic: أَيُّ شَيء
Brazilian Portuguese: qualquer coisa
Chinese: 任何事
Croatian: išta
Czech: něco
Danish: noget
Dutch: iets
European Spanish: algo interrogación
Finnish: mitään
French: n’importe quoi
German: irgendetwas
Greek: τίποτα
Italian: niente
Japanese: 何でも
Korean: 아무것도
Norwegian: noe
Polish: cokolwiek
European Portuguese: qualquer coisa
Romanian: nimic
Russian: что-нибудь
Latin American Spanish: algo
Swedish: något
Thai: สิ่งใด
Turkish: herhangi bir şey
Ukrainian: що-небудь
Vietnamese: bất cứ cái gì
All related terms of 'anything'
as anything
You use as anything after an adjective to emphasize a quality that someone has.
if anything
You use if anything , especially after a negative statement , to introduce a statement that adds to what you have just said .
or anything
You can add or anything to the end of a clause or sentence in order to refer vaguely to other things that are or may be similar to what has just been mentioned .
anything but
You use anything but in expressions such as anything but quiet and anything but attractive to emphasize that something is not the case.
anything goes
If people say ' anything goes ', they mean that anything people say or do is considered acceptable , and usually they mean that they do not approve of this.
like anything
( intensifier ; usually euphemistic)
I'd give anything
You use give in phrases such as I'd give anything , I'd give my right arm , and what wouldn't I give to emphasize that you are very eager to do or have something.
like anything/crazy/mad
You can use the expressions like anything , like crazy , or like mad to emphasize that someone is doing something or something is happening in a very energetic or noticeable way.
everythng/anything under the sun
Everything under the sun means a very great number of things. Anything under the sun means anything at all.
would not do sth for anything/would not be sth for anything
You can say that you would not do something for anything to emphasize that you definitely would not want to do or be a particular thing.
would not put it past sb/would not put anything past sb
If you say that you would not put it past someone to do something bad , you mean that you would not be surprised if they did it because you think their character is bad.
Chinese translation of 'anything'
anything
(ˈɛnɪθɪŋ)
pron
(in negatives, questions, "if" clauses) 任何事 (rènhé shì)
(= no matter what) 无(無)论(論)何事物 (wúlùn hé shìwù)
I can't see anything我什么(麼)也看不见(見) (wǒ shénme yě kàn bù jiàn)