whyever
advUS /waɪˈɛvɚ/
Etymology From why + ever.
1
Interrogative Why ever: an emphatic form of why.
- Whyever would someone do that?
2
Uncommon For whatever reason.
- You can use it whenever you want and whyever you want.
- Whatever we do, and whyever we do it, does not every motive originate in self, and does not every act proceed out of the individual's instinct for self-fulfilment ?1918, Wilson Follett, The Modern Novel: A Study of the Purpose and the Meaning of Fiction, page 79:
2 more examples
- Whyever they began, there was no perceptible wolf at their door.1975, Steven Polgar, Population, Ecology, and Social Evolution, page 74:
- "And whyever they were doing it, they were the ones responsible for what happened to her and all of the rest of my friends in the first place."2006, David Weber, Linda Evans, Hell's Gate:
3
Uncommon Regardless of the reason (why).
- I don't care what you want. Whyever you're here, please go away.
- Related terms
212 terms
however, howsoever, whatever, whatsoever, whenever, whensoever, wheresoever, wherever, whichever, whoever, whomever, whomsoever, whosoever, whysoever, —, henceafter, henceforth, henceforward, henceforwards, hencefrom, hereabout, hereabouts, hereabove, hereafter, hereafters, hereagainst, hereamong, hereanent, hereat, hereaway, herebefore, hereby, herefor, herefore, hereforth, hereforward, hereforwards, herefrom, herehence, hereinabove, hereinafter, hereinbefore, hereinbelow, hereinelsewhere, hereinsoever, hereinto, hereinunder, heremid, hereof, hereon, hereout, hereover, herethrough, herethroughout, hereto, heretofore, hereunto, hereupon, herewith, herewithal, herewithin, herewithout, hitherto, hitherunto, hitherward, hitherwards, howbeit, howso, howsomedever, howsomever, thataway, thatwise, thenceafter, thenceforth, thenceforward, thenceforwards, thencefrom, thenceout, thereabout, thereabouts, thereabove, thereacross, thereafter, thereafters, thereagain, thereagainst, therealong, thereamong, thereamongst, thereanent, therearound, thereat, thereaway, therebefore, therebeside, therebetween, therebeyond, thereby, therever, therefor, therefore, thereforth, therefrom, therehence, thereinabove, thereinafter, thereinbefore, thereinbelow, thereinto, thereinunder, theremid, thereof, thereon, thereout, thereover, theresoever, therethrough, therethroughout, thereto, theretofore, thereunto, thereup, thereupon, therewith, therewithal, therewithin, therewithout, thisaway, thiswise, thitherinsoever, thitherto, thitherward, thitherwards, whatso, whatsomedever, whatsomever, whatwise, whenabout, whenabouts, whenas, whenso, whensomever, whenceafter, whencever, whenceforth, whenceforward, whencefrom, whenceward, whencewards, whereabout, whereabouts, whereabove, whereafter, whereafters, whereagainst, wherealong, whereamong, whereamongst, whereanent, wherearound, whereas, whereat, whereaway, wherebefore, wherebeside, wherebetween, wherebeyond, whereby, wherefor, wherefore, whereforth, wherefrom, wherehence, whereinabove, whereinafter, whereinbefore, whereinbelow, whereinsoever, whereinto, whereinunder, wheremid, whereof, whereon, whereout, whereover, whereso, wheresomever, wherethrough, wherethroughout, whereto, wheretofore, whereunto, whereup, whereupon, wherewith, wherewithal, wherewithin, wherewithout, whitherever, whitherinsoever, whitherso, whitherto, whithertofore, whitherward, whitherwards, whyfor, whyso, 1. Scottish2. from Middle English mid3. old dialectal form, why on Earth, why in God's name, why oh why, why in Sam Hill