anyway
/ˈɛnɪweɪ
/adverb
1Used to confirm or support a point or idea just mentioned: I told you, it’s all right, and anyway, it was my fault it’s too late now anyway...
- Oh well, entering the Masters Games was only a vague idea anyway.
- That's the idea, anyway, but so far progress has been slow.
- This is defeatist nonsense, not to mention entirely disingenuous, anyway.
1.1Used in questions to emphasize the speaker’s wish to obtain the truth: ‘What are you doing here, anyway?’...
- When was a Leftist concerned about the truth anyway?
- Liz gets angry at him and tells him that if he feels that way about the family, what difference would the truth make anyway?
- And how, in the light of Saussure's account of language, could we be sure it was the truth, anyway?
2Used to end a conversation, to change the subject, or to resume a subject after interruption: ‘Anyway, Dot, I must dash.’...
- It is a habit I must break soon but anyway, that's the subject of another post…
- But anyway, when I steered the conversation away from himself, we had a good time.
- One rarely struck up a conversation with Angela unless she spoke first; anyway, it was enough just to be with her.
2.1Used to pass over less significant aspects of an account in order to focus on what is important: ‘Poor John always enjoyed a drink. Anyway, he died last year.’...
- The COO retorts that people need the benefits, and anyway, the important thing is paying down your debt.
- But anyway, far more important than that, is that this new profile feature has led to the discovery of my perfect match.
- And anyway, work was important and the world hated me, so there was no real problem with me studying and reading so much.
3Used to indicate that something happened or will happen in spite of something else: nobody invited Miss Honey to sit down but she sat down anyway...
- But if the talks drag on beyond next week, sources close to the group say it will probably press ahead with the announcement anyway.
- But the university's administration may go ahead with the deal anyway.
- We told them they would look foolish if they ran the story but they went ahead anyway.