Why

/ˈwaɪ̯/ · adverb

Meaning

(interrogative) For what cause, reason, or purpose..

Definitions by Sense

1. (interrogative) For what cause, reason, or purpose.
2. (relative) For which cause, reason, or purpose.
3. (fused relative) The cause, reason, or purpose for which.
4. Reason.
5. (dated or literary) An exclamation used to express pleasant or unpleasant mild surprise, indignation, or impatience.
6. (intransitive, transitive) To ask (someone) the question "why?".
7. (Yorkshire, obsolete) A young heifer.
8. Alternative form of wye; the name of the Latin script letter Y/y.

Example Sentences

That's the reason why I did that.

That is why the sky is blue.

Why most of us volunteer is that we need some fresh air.

Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.

I don't want to know the whys or the wherefores of your decision.

Within months of leaving, she became the new owner of Dream Body Recovery in Miami, which has three rooms that can accommodate up to six clients. “Being a part of this journey with other ladies, knowing how it changed my life, that’s my why,” she told me.

Why, that’s ridiculous!

Synonyms for why

Antonyms for why

Related Words

Word Forms

• whys
• why's
• whies
• whying
• whyed
• whied

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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