whatever Meaning & Definition
What Does Whatever Mean?
Whatever is used as a noun meaning A thing or person whose actual name is unknown or forgotten. As a determiner, it means What ever; emphatic form of 'what'. As a pronoun, it means What ever; emphasised form of 'what', used to ask which thing, event, circumstance, etc.
Whatever at a Glance
| Part of speech | noun, determiner, pronoun, adverb, interjection, adjective |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ʍɒtˈɛv.ə// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | any, whatsoever and meh |
| Plural | whatevers |
| Comparative / superlative | more whatever, most whatever |
Whatever Definition (Noun)
- A thing or person whose actual name is unknown or forgotten.
Whatever as a Determiner
- What ever; emphatic form of 'what'.
Good heavens! Whatever time is it?!
- Regardless of the ... that; for any ... that.
Whatever your choice, there will be consequences.
- Any ... that; of no matter what type or kind that.
Whatever doubts I had were quickly dispelled.
- Any; of no matter what type or kind.
He must be stopped, whatever the cost.
Whatever as a Pronoun
- What ever; emphasised form of 'what', used to ask which thing, event, circumstance, etc.
Whatever do you mean?
- Regardless of anything that.
Whatever he does, he will still lose the game.
- Anything that; all that.
Do whatever works.
- Anything; thing(s) of unspecified kind, or no matter what kind; sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not care about options.
I don't need any of this stuff, so take whatever.
Whatever as an Adverb
- At all; in any way; whatsoever.
There is no point whatever in going on with this discussion.
- In what way; to what extent.
Whatever does it matter now?
Whatever as an Interjection
- A holophrastic expression conveying dismissal of a matter that the speaker regards with indifference, considers unimportant, or declines to entertain or discuss further, sometimes interpreted as an elliptical form of “whatever you say,” implying feigned deference to the presumed validity of the interlocutor’s assertion.
So you broke it? Whatever! Get a grip.
Whatever as an Adjective
- Unexceptional or unimportant; blah.
Noun
- Something whose exact kind or nature is unimportant; a thingy.
Adjective
- At all, absolutely, whatsoever.
There is no point whatever in going on with this discussion.
Pronoun
- No matter what; for any
Whatever he does, he will still lose the game.
- (relative) Anything; sometimes used to indicate that the speaker does not care about options.
I’ll do whatever I can.
Interjection
- (dismissive) A holophrastic expression used discourteously to indicate that the speaker does not consider the matter worthy of further discussion.
"For the last time, brush your teeth!" "Whatever!"
Synonyms of Whatever
Whatever synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Whatever
No antonyms or near antonyms are listed by the available sources for this entry.
Whatever in a Sentence
Good heavens! Whatever time is it?!
Whatever your choice, there will be consequences.
I will stick with you, whatever fate befalls us.
Whatever doubts I had were quickly dispelled.
Write down whatever thoughts come into your mind.
He must be stopped, whatever the cost.
Whatever do you mean?
Whatever he does, he will still lose the game.
Whatever happens, stay calm.
Do whatever works.
I’ll do whatever I can.
I don't need any of this stuff, so take whatever.
There is no point whatever in going on with this discussion.
Whatever does it matter now?
So you broke it? Whatever! Get a grip.
Go brush your teeth. – Whatever!
"For the last time, brush your teeth!" "Whatever!"
Word Forms & Grammar
whatever (plural whatevers)
whatever
whatever (not comparable)
whatever (comparative more whatever, superlative most whatever)
Words That Rhyme With Whatever
Origin of Whatever
From Middle English whatever. By surface analysis, what + -ever.
Whatever Pronunciation
You say whatever as //ʍɒtˈɛv.ə//. It has 1 syllable.
Common Questions About Whatever
Is whatever a noun or a determiner?
Whatever is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a determiner, a pronoun, an adverb, an interjection and an adjective.
What is another word for whatever?
Words with a similar meaning to whatever include any, whatsoever and meh. See the full list of whatever synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of whatever?
The plural of whatever is whatevers.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of whatever?
The comparative form is more whatever and the superlative form is most whatever.