what

Less common meanings

5. 5
   interjection

   Said when you are surprised or cannot believe something.

   What! That's amazing!

   What, you sold the car without asking me?

   Note
6. 6
   interjection

   Used to ask someone to repeat what they said, often thought rude.

   What? I didn't catch that.

   What? The line is terrible, say it again.

   UsageSay sorry? or pardon? to be polite.

   Similarpardon, sorry

7. 7
   determinerrelative

   Used before a noun to mean 'all the ... that', often when there is not much.

   What little food they had, they shared with us.

   She gave what time she could spare to the animal shelter.

   UsageOften used with little or few: what little time, what few friends.

   Similarwhatever

   Note
8. 8
   curt replyinterjection

   Used as a short, unfriendly way of asking what someone wants.

   What? I'm busy.

   Yes, what? Make it quick.

   UsageSay yes? to sound friendly.

9. 9
   rough guessinterjection

   Used between commas while you guess a number or try to remember.

   The drive takes, what, about three hours from here?

   It's been, what, ten years since we met?

10. 10
    adverbinterrogative

    Used to ask how, or how much, something matters or counts.

    What does it hurt to ask your boss for a raise?

    What do I care if the neighbors don't like our fence?

    UsagePeople say what does it matter?

    Similarhow

    Note
11. 11
    because ofadverb

    Used before 'with' to list the reasons for something, as in 'what with the rain'.

    What with the rain and the traffic, we were late.

    I'm exhausted, what with work and the new baby.

    Note
12. 12
    the factsnouncountable

    The answer to a 'what' question, the thing itself rather than the how or why.

    Tell me the what first, and we'll get to the why later.

    We know the whats of the plan but not the whys.

13. 13
    that (dialect)pronounnonstandardrelative

    In some dialects, used instead of 'that' or 'who' after a noun.

    It's that bloke again what was here yesterday.

    The man what sold me the horse has vanished.

    Similarthat, who, which

    Note
14. 14
    not a personnouncountable

    A thing rather than a person, something you would ask 'what' about, not 'who'.

    Don't call the robot a what, he insists he's a who.

    The creature was a what, not a who, to the villagers.

    Similarthing

    Oppositewho

    Note
15. 15
    seeking agreementinterjectiondatedBritishabbreviationclipping

    Short for what do you say?: added to the end of a sentence to ask others to agree, in old-fashioned British speech.

    Jolly good show, what?

    “That’s riled them,” said my compaion. “Good work, what?”

    1918, Denis Garstin, The Shilling SoldiersHere, what means don't you agree, added to the end to ask for agreement.

    Note
16. 16
    particleManglishSinglish

    Said at the end of a sentence to mean 'this should be obvious', often when correcting someone.

    "There's no library here." "The National Library is nearby, what."

    "You said the shop is closed." "It's open, what. I just came from there."

    Note
17. 17
    nounobsoleteuncountable

    In old poetry, 'stuff' or 'something', as in 'such homely what'.

    Note