what Meaning & Definition
What Does What Mean?
What is used as a determiner meaning Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities. It can also mean Which. As a pronoun, it means Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc. As an adverb, it means In what way; to what extent.
What in Brief
| Part of speech | determiner, pronoun, adverb, interjection, noun, particle |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /-ɒt/ |
| Synonyms | what-what, wot and come again |
| Plural | whats |
What Definition (Determiner)
- Which, especially which of an open-ended set of possibilities.
What colour are you going to use?
- Which.
I wonder what colour he is going to use.
- Any ... that; all ... that; whatever.
He seems to have lost what sense he had.
- Emphasises that something is noteworthy or remarkable in quality or degree, in either a good or bad way; may be used in combination with certain other determiners, especially 'a', less often 'some'.
This shows what beauty there is in nature.
- Used to form exclamations indicating that something is remarkable, in either a good or bad way.
What nonsense!
What as a Pronoun
- Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
Hammer in that nail — What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.
- That which; those that; the thing(s) that.
He knows what he wants and what to do to get it.
- Anything that; all that; whatever.
I will do what I can to help you.
- That; which; who.
Look! It's that bloke again what was 'ere yesterday!
What as an Adverb
- In what way; to what extent.
What does it matter?
- Used before a prepositional phrase to emphasise that something is taken into consideration as a cause or reason; usually used in combination with 'with' (see what with), and much less commonly with other prepositions.
What as an Interjection
- An expression of surprise or disbelief.
What! That’s amazing!
- What do you want? An abrupt, usually unfriendly enquiry as to what a person desires.
What? I'm busy.
- Clipping of what do you say?, used as a type of tag question to emphasise a statement and invite agreement, often rhetorically.
It’s a nice day, what?
- What did you say? I beg your pardon? This usage is often considered impolite, with the more polite "Pardon?" or "Excuse me?" preferred.
— Could I have some of those aarrrrrr mmmm ...— What?
- Indicating a guess or approximation, or a pause to try to recall information.
I must have been, what, about five years old.
What as a Noun
- Something; thing; stuff.
- The identity of a thing, as an answer to a question of what.
- Something that is addressed by what, as opposed to a person, addressed by who.
What as a Particle
- Emphasizes the truth of an assertion made to contradict an evidently false assumption held by the listener.
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
- Used to invite agreement or acknowledgment when something is assumed to be straightforward or already obvious to begin with; similar in function to “right?” and “as you know”.
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
- Used after a direct assertion to reinforce a disagreeing opinion.
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
Adverb
- (Singlish) Used to contradict an underlying assumption held by the interlocutor.
Adverb
- (usually followed by "with," but also sometimes "would" or "might," especially in finance) In some manner or degree; in part; partly. See also what with
The market will calculate these higher risks in their funding costs what might result in higher lending rates.
- Such.
What a beautiful day!
- Why.
- Used to introduce each of two coordinate phrases or concepts; both…and.
Pronoun
- (interrogative) Which thing, event, circumstance, etc.: used interrogatively in asking for the specification of an identity, quantity, quality, etc.
- That which; those that; the thing that.
He knows what he wants.
- (relative) That; which; who.
- Whatever.
I will do what I can to help you.
Interjection
- Clipping of what do you say?
- What did you say? I beg your pardon?
- (typically with a) An intensifier to an adjective phrase; used to begin a sentence.
What a nice car.
Synonyms of What
What synonyms and antonyms →What in a Sentence
What colour are you going to use?
What time is it?
What kind of car is that?
Did you buy the groceries? — With what money? We barely have any left.
I wonder what colour he is going to use.
I know what colour I am going to use.
That depends on what answer is received.
He seems to have lost what sense he had.
What money I earn is soon spent.
This shows what beauty there is in nature.
You know what nonsense she talks.
I found out what a liar he is.
What nonsense!
Wow! What a speech.
What beautiful children you have.
With what passion she sings!
Hammer in that nail — What with? I didn't bring my set of tools.
What is your name?
My kids set the neighbor's cat on fire. — They did what?
Ask them what they want.
What d’you say that made him so angry?
I’ve broken the exhaust manifold gasket. — You’ve broken the what?
He knows what he wants and what to do to get it.
What is amazing is his boundless energy.
And, what's even worse, I have to work on Sunday too.
What is astonishing is that she doesn't want the job. — What’s even more staggering, neither of her friends does either.
What we did, we invited everybody and then forgot the date.
I will do what I can to help you.
What is mine is yours.
Look! It's that bloke again what was 'ere yesterday!
What does it matter?
What do you care?
What! That’s amazing!
What? I'm busy.
It’s a nice day, what?
— Could I have some of those aarrrrrr mmmm ...— What?
I must have been, what, about five years old.
Pitch contour: low [wʌt˩], low-dipping [wʌt˨˩]
— Sian sia, nearby here don’t have library.— The National Library is a five-minute walk from here what, no meh?
If it doesn’t get sunlight, it won’t grow what, so you should consider moving it closer to the window.
The lava cakes are not that bad what.
The market will calculate these higher risks in their funding costs what might result in higher lending rates.
What a beautiful day!
He knows what he wants.
What a nice car.
Word Forms & Grammar
what
what (not comparable)
what (countable and uncountable, plural whats)
Words That Rhyme With What
Origin of What
Origin 1: From Middle English what, from Old English hwæt (“what”), from Proto-West Germanic *hwat, from Proto-Germanic *hwat (“what”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷód (“what”), neuter form of *kʷós (“who”).
Origin 2: Cognate with Scots what, whit (“what”), North Frisian wat (“what”), Saterland Frisian wat (“what”), West Frisian wat (“what”), Dutch wat (“what”), Low German wat (“what”), German was (“what”), Danish hvad (“what”), Norwegian Bokmål hva (“what”), Swedish vad (“what”), Norwegian Nynorsk kva (“what”), Icelandic hvað (“what”), Latin quod (“what, which”).
Origin 3: Its use as a particle of contradiction or objection in colloquial Malaysian and Singaporean Englishes is analogous to Malay apa and Cantonese 喎 / 㖞 (wo3, etymology 2, sense 3). It is possible that this was historically reinforced by the dated use of what as a sentence-final question tag in British English.
Common Questions About What
Is what a determiner or a pronoun?
What is mainly used as a determiner, but it can also be used as a pronoun, an adverb, an interjection, a noun and a particle.
What is another word for what?
Close synonyms of what are what-what, wot and come again. See the full list of what synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of what?
The plural of what is whats.