HOW | Meaning In The Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of how in English howadverb uk /haʊ/ us /haʊ/ Add to word list Add to word list A2 in what way, or by what methods: How do we get to the town from here? How did you hear about the concert? How does this machine work? How do you plan to spend your holiday?how to Roz doesn't know how to ride a bicycle. It all depends on how you look at it. I don't care about fashion, I dress how I please. I was horrified to hear about how (= the way) she had been treated.how can How can he be so stupid?how could How could we have missed this? I don't know how anyone could think that way. A2 used to ask about someone's physical or emotional state: How is your mother? How are you feeling this morning? A1 used in questions that ask what an experience or event was like: How was your flight?how do you find something How did you find the lecture (= did you think it was good)?how do you like something How did you like the concert (= did you enjoy it)?how far She didn't say how far it is (= what the distance is) to her house.how long How long are you going to be (= what amount of time are you going to spend) in the bathroom?how many Do you know how many (= what number of) people are coming?how much How much does this cost (= what is its price)?how old How old is his daughter (= what age is she)? "Can you lift this case?" "It depends on how heavy it is." Do you remember how (= the fact that) we used to see every new film as soon as it came out? B1 used for emphasis: I can't tell you how pleased I am (= I am very pleased) that you came. How (= it is very) nice to see you! "She paid for everything." "How (= that was very) generous."  how strange, stupid, weird, etc. is that? C2 informal used to emphasize that something is strange, stupid, etc.: She let me go on the yacht. How cool is that? See more  how are you? A1 used to ask someone if they are well and happy: "Hi, Lucy, how are you?" "Fine, thanks, how are you?" See more  how are things? informal (also how's everything?); (also how's it going?) used as greetings: I haven't seen you for ages, Carol. How are things? See more  how do you mean? used when you want someone to explain what they have just said: "I think we need to reconsider our position." "How do you mean?" See more  how's that? used when asking if something you have done for someone is satisfactory: Let me put a cushion behind your back. How's that? See more  and how! informal used to show that you feel the same way as someone or agree with them: "I'll be so glad when this project is finished." "And how!" See more

• Your house is always so neat - how do you manage it with three children?
• She used to lie awake at night worrying about how to pay the bills.
• "Well, " he began, "I don't quite know how to tell you this."
• Notes on how to use this dictionary can be found at the beginning of the book.
• We do not know exactly how life first began.

Linguistics: question words & expressions

• amirite
• devil
• extent
• how about...? idiom
• how, what, why, etc. on earth... idiom
• how-to
• question tag
• trick
• what is someone/something like? idiom
• what's something in aid of? idiom
• what's that (all) about (then)? idiom
• what's the score? idiom
• what/where/how/why the devil idiom
• when
• whenever
• where
• wherefore
• which
• why
• world

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Linguistics: very & extreme

Grammar

ExclamationsWe use exclamations to express surprise or shock or a strong emotion about something. The type of phrase or clause associated with exclamations is called exclamative. … What …!We can use what + noun phrase ((+ verb) (+ tag)): … How …!We often use how followed by an adjective only: … Exclamatives with interrogative formWe sometimes make an exclamation using interrogative (question) word order: … HowThe adverb how most commonly means ‘in what way’ or ‘to what extent’. … How is …? or What is … like?We use How is …? to ask about someone’s general health or about the condition or state of something, or how people experience something: … However, whatever, whichever, whenever, wherever, whoeverIf we add -ever to wh-words like how, what, which, when, where and who, we change their meaning. …

Idioms

how about...? how about that? how come? how do you do? how do you do how's you? (Definition of how from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

how | American Dictionary

howadverb [ not gradable ] us /hɑʊ/ Add to word list Add to word list in what way or state, to what amount or degree, or for what reason: How do we get to the interstate highway from here? How did you hear about the concert? How is your mother? How did you like the movie? How much does this cost? How old is his daughter? She didn’t say how far it is to her house. How long are you going to be at the gym? How is sometimes used for emphasis: How nice to see you!  How are you? How are you? is used as a greeting: "Hi, how are you?" "Fine, thanks, how are you?"  How are things? (also How’s everything?); (How’s it going?) How are things?,How’s everything?, and How’s it going? are informal greetings: Hi Deb! How's it going?  How do you do? How do you do? is a formal greeting: "I’m Jack Stewart." "How do you do, I’m Angela Black."

Idioms

how about something how come something happened how dare you do something howconjunction us /hɑʊ/ the way or condition in which: Do you know how this machine works? [ + to infinitive ] Roz doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle. I was horrified to hear about how she had been treated. (Definition of how from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of how

how How long will this continue to be so? From the Cambridge English Corpus Show them how to do it by doing it with them. From the Cambridge English Corpus How do you explain your emphasis on continuity? From the Cambridge English Corpus How do we choose those differences that 'make a difference'? From the Cambridge English Corpus Then you can all see how each other are doing. From the Cambridge English Corpus How are we to understand our lives within them? From the Cambridge English Corpus That is, he chooses what, when, and how much to produce. From the Cambridge English Corpus Does your brain use the images in it, and if so, how? From the Cambridge English Corpus In a way, it was a manifesto - a demonstration of how things could be done differently. From the Cambridge English Corpus How can you be friends with such a one? From the Cambridge English Corpus They need to understand that they must show adults how to do things, not merely do it for them. From the Cambridge English Corpus How could the desire for social connection not be there in an infant? From the Cambridge English Corpus How are service robots for professional use doing? From the Cambridge English Corpus How could they be the same pieces if they were not fugues? From the Cambridge English Corpus There were nineteen responses for how to improve the leadership of the group. From the Cambridge English Corpus See all examples of how 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 how?

Translations of how

in Chinese (Traditional) 如何，怎麼, （尤指身體或精神狀況）怎麼樣, （用於詢問經歷或事情）怎麼樣… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 如何，怎么, （尤指身体或精神状况）怎么样, （用于询问经历或事情）怎么样… See more in Spanish cómo, qué, de qué manera… See more in Portuguese como, que, quanto/-ta… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian कसे, कशी/कसे, कशी/ किती… See more （量・サイズなどが）どのくらい, どの程度, どのように… See more nasıl, ne şekilde, (miktar… See more comment, combien, comme… See more com és de…?, com, que… See more hoe, op welke manier, waarom… See more எந்த வழியில், அல்லது எந்த முறைகள் மூலம், ஒருவரின் உடல் அல்லது உணர்ச்சி நிலையைப் பற்றி கேட்கப் பயன்படுகிறது… See more कैसे या किस तरह से, कैसा, कैसी… See more કઈ, કેવી, શી રીતે અથવા કઈ પધ્ધતિ થકી… See more hvordan, hvor langt, hvor meget… See more hur, vad, hur [kommer det sig]… See more bagaimana, berapa, bagaimana cara… See more wie… See more hvordan, hvor, så… See more کیسے, کس طرح, کیوں کر… See more як?, як, яким способом… See more ఏ విధంగా లేదా ఎలా, ఎవరిదైనా శారీరక లేదా భావోద్వేగా స్థితిని గురించి అడగడం కోసం వాడుతారు, ఒక అనుభవాన్ని గురించి లేదా ఒక జరిగిన సంఘటనను గురించి ప్రశ్నించడం కోసం కోసం వాడుతారు… See more কিভাবে অথবা কোন পদ্ধতিতে, কেমন করে, কেমন আছেন বা আছো… See more jak… See more bagaimana, mengapa… See more อย่างไร, มาน้อยเพียงใด, โดยวิธีใด… See more như thế nào, tới mức độ nào, bằng phương tiện gì… See more jak, w jaki sposób, dlaczego… See more 얼마나, 어떻게, 어떠하여… See more quanto, come… See more Need a translator?

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hovercraft hovered hovering hoverport how how about that? idiom how about...? idiom how are things (with you)? idiom how are things? phrase {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of how

• how far
• how old
• how-to
• how to do something
• how long
• how many
• how much

See all meanings

• how about something idiom
• how come something happened idiom
• how dare you do something idiom
• and how! phrase
• how come? idiom
• how about...? idiom
• how's you? idiom

See all idioms and phrases

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• English   
  • Adverb 
    • how
    • how strange, stupid, weird, etc. is that?
    • how are you?
    • how are things?
    • how do you mean?
    • how's that?
    • and how!
• American   
  • Adverb 
    • how
    • How are you?
    • How are things?
    • How do you do?
  Conjunction
• Examples

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