WHY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

Meaning of why in English

why
adverb
uk
/waɪ/ us
/waɪ/
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A1
for what reason:
"I'm going home." "Why?"
Why did you choose to live in London?
Why wait? Let's leave now.
Why should I help him - he never helps me?
Why is it that I find chocolate so addictive?
The police asked me to explain why I hadn't reported the accident sooner.
I don't know why she isn't here.
Quite why he isn't here today is a mystery.
reason why There is no reason why we shouldn't succeed.
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Linguistics: question words & expressions
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Grammar

Relative pronouns: when, where and why
In informal language, we often use where, when or why to introduce defining relative clauses instead of at which, on which or for which. …
Why
Why is a wh-word. We use why to talk about reasons and explanations. …
Why as a question word
We can use why to ask about reasons and explanations: …
Why: asking for reasons
When we ask for reasons in speaking, we can use the phrase why is that? In informal conversations we often say why’s that?: …
That’s why …: giving reasons
We often use the phrase that’s why to give a reason: …
Why should …: expressing annoyance
When we are annoyed about something, we sometimes use the phrase why should: …
Why don’t and why not: making suggestions
We use why don’t and why not to make suggestions: …
Why not?: showing agreement
We can use the phrase why not? as a reply which shows that we agree to a suggestion or request: …

Idioms

why don't you...?
why not...?
why
exclamation
mainly US or old-fashioned
uk
/waɪ/ us
/waɪ/
used to express surprise or anger:
Why, if it isn't old Georgie Frazer!
Why, I've never seen anything like it!
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Linguistics: interjections
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Grammar

Why
Why is a wh-word. We use why to talk about reasons and explanations. …
Why as a question word
We can use why to ask about reasons and explanations: …
Why: asking for reasons
When we ask for reasons in speaking, we can use the phrase why is that? In informal conversations we often say why’s that?: …
That’s why …: giving reasons
We often use the phrase that’s why to give a reason: …
Why should …: expressing annoyance
When we are annoyed about something, we sometimes use the phrase why should: …
Why don’t and why not: making suggestions
We use why don’t and why not to make suggestions: …
Why not?: showing agreement
We can use the phrase why not? as a reply which shows that we agree to a suggestion or request: …
why
noun
uk
/waɪ/ us
/waɪ/
the whys and (the) wherefores
the reasons for something:
I know very little about the whys and the wherefores of the situation.
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(Definition of why from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

why | American Dictionary

why
conjunction, adverb [ not gradable ]
us
/wɑɪ, hwɑɪ/
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for what reason:
Why do you like living in Paris?
She’ll ask why you don’t have your homework.

Idiom

why not
(Definition of why from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of why

why
This is why it is much easier to determine whether a philosophical principle is true than to determine the extent of its validity.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Then why does threat simulation co-occur with psychological troubles?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Political economists and political scientists have offered a plethora of explanations for why competition in laxity remains rare in environmental and consumer policy.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
It remains to be seen why (43) loses its validity for long times.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The obvious question, however, is why they are not used more in teaching design.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
I would like to know why they took place.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Finding an answer to the question of why a transformation took place in prehistory, then, would ideally mean taking all factors involved into account.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
It also demonstrates why that process took almost twenty-five years to begin.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
But why exactly is this supposed to be a problem?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Now there is no reason why they could not at the same time derive symbolic or evidential value from something else than these outcomes.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Even so, an explanation why just these symptoms co-occur would be welcome.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
So why has such a synthesis been so slow to develop?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Why then were those other thirty also quashed?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
However, if something is too complex, or is perceived to be too complex, then why should biologists bother?
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The diversity of themes covered in the papers is the reason why this seemed to be such an eclectic mix.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
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These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
What is the pronunciation of why?
 
A1

Translations of why

in Chinese (Traditional)
為甚麼, 喲，嗨，哎呀（表示驚訝或生氣）…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
为什么, 哟，嗨，哎呀（表示惊讶或生气）…
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in Spanish
por qué, ¿por qué?, porqué…
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in Portuguese
por que, por quê…
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in more languages
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in Italian
का- कोणते कारण…
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どうして, なぜ…
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neden, niçin, ne diye…
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pourquoi, pour lequel, pour laquelle…
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per què…
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waarom…
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என்ன காரணத்திற்காக…
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क्यों…
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શા માટે…
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hvorfor…
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varför…
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mengapa, kenapa…
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warum…
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hvorfor, derfor, … til at…
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کیوں؟…
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чому?, чому…
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почему?…
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ఏ కారణం కొరకు…
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لِماذا…
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কি কারণে / কেন…
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proč…
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mengapa…
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ทำไม…
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tại sao…
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dlaczego, czemu…
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왜…
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perché, per cui, per il quale…
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