anyhow

anyhow — adverb

1. a word you say to bring back an earlier topic, finish a chat, add a small extra

1.副詞B2
釋義

a word you say to bring back an earlier topic, finish a chat, add a small extra point, or stress that something stays true even after what was just said.

例句

Anyhow, as I was saying before Mei interrupted, the meeting starts at nine.

sentence-initial: returning to a previous topic

It was raining hard, but Diego went for a long walk anyhow.

sentence-final: meaning 'despite that'

同義詞
  • anyway

    more common in everyday speech; almost always interchangeable

  • in any case

    slightly more formal; common in writing

  • at any rate

    emphasises that the point still stands; written or careful speech

用法筆記

Functions as a discourse marker, usually at the start or end of a sentence. Distinguish from sense 2 (carelessly): this sense is grammatical glue between ideas, not a description of how an action is done.

常見錯誤

❌Please put the books anyhow on the shelf' (meaning 'in any order').
✅Please put the books on the shelf any way you like.
💡sense 1 'anyhow' cannot mean 'in any manner'; that meaning is sense 2 and is rarely used after a verb of placement.
❌Anyhow you, the train left without us.
✅Anyhow, the train left without us.
💡'anyhow' is followed by a comma and a full clause, not by a pronoun.

2. if you do something this way, you do it without paying attention or planning, le

2.副詞B2
釋義

if you do something this way, you do it without paying attention or planning, leaving the result messy or in no clear order.

例句

Ravi threw his clothes into the suitcase anyhow and ran for the airport.

verb + anyhow: in a careless manner

The children had stacked the toys anyhow in the corner of the playroom.

describes messy, unplanned arrangement

同義詞
  • carelessly

    neutral and very common; describes lack of attention

  • haphazardly

    stresses lack of plan or pattern; slightly formal

  • any old how

    British informal; same idea, more colourful

反義詞

文法句型

verb + anyhow

用法筆記

Always follows the verb (or its object), never starts the sentence. Distinguish from sense 1, which sits at sentence boundaries with a comma. More common in British English than American English.

常見錯誤

❌Anyhow, she stacked the books on the shelf.' (meaning 'carelessly').
✅She stacked the books on the shelf anyhow.
💡placing 'anyhow' at the start switches to the discourse-marker meaning of sense 1.
❌He answered the question anyhow correctly.
✅He answered the question carelessly but correctly.
💡'anyhow' modifies the manner of doing, not the truth of an outcome.