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how

1 American  
[hou] / haʊ /

adverb

  1. in what way or manner; by what means?.

    How did the accident happen?

  2. to what extent, degree, etc.?.

    How damaged is the car?

  3. in what state or condition?.

    How are you?

  4. for what reason; why?.

    How can you talk such nonsense?

  5. to what effect; with what meaning?.

    How is one to interpret his action?

  6. what?.

    How do you mean? If they don't have vanilla, how about chocolate?

  7. (used as an intensifier).

    How seldom I go there!

  8. by what title or name?.

    How does one address the president?

  9. at what price.

    How are the new cars going, cheaper than last year's models?

  10. by what amount or in what measure or quantity?.

    How do you sell these tomatoes?

  11. in what form or shape?.

    How does the demon appear in the first act of the opera? How does the medication come?

conjunction

  1. the manner or way in which.

    He couldn't figure out how to solve the problem.

  2. about the manner, condition, or way in which.

    I don't care how you leave your desk when you go. Be careful how you act.

  3. in whatever manner or way; however.

    You can travel how you please.

  4. Informal. that.

    He told us how he was honest and could be trusted.

noun

  1. a question concerning the way or manner in which something is done, achieved, etc..

    a child's unending whys and hows.

  2. a way or manner of doing something.

    to consider all the hows and wherefores.

  3. a word formerly used in communications to represent the letter H.

idioms

  1. how so? how does it happen to be so? why?.

    You haven't any desire to go? How so?

  2. and how! certainly! you bet!.

    Am I happy? And how!

  3. how come? how is it that? why?.

    How come you never visit us anymore?

  4. Here's how, (used as a toast.)

how 2 American  
[hou] / haʊ /

interjection

Facetious: Often Offensive.

  1. (used as a greeting in imitation of American Indian speech.)

how 1 British  
/ haʊ /

adverb

  1. in what way? in what manner? by what means?: how did it happen? Also used in indirect questions: tell me how he did it

  2. to what extent?

    how tall is he?

  3. how good? how well? what…like?

    how did she sing?

    how was the holiday?

  4. used to suggest something

    how about asking her?

    how about a cup of tea?

  5. what is your state of health?

  6. informal what is the reason (that)?

    how come you told him?

    1. is this satisfactory as regards…?

      how's that for size?

    2. an exclamation used to draw attention to a quality, deed, etc

      how is that for endurance?

    1. what is your opinion?

    2. Also written: howzat.  cricket (an appeal to the umpire) is the batsman out?

  9. archaic what is the meaning of this?

  10. Also: as how.  not_standard that

    he told me as how the shop was closed

  11. in whatever way

    do it how you wish

  12. used in exclamations to emphasize extent

    how happy I was!

  13. (intensifier) very much so!

  14. (as a toast) good health!

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. the way a thing is done

    the how of it
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
how 2 British  
/ haʊ /

  1. a greeting supposed to be or have been used by American Indians and often used humorously

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
how More Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing how

Sensitive Note

See firewater.

Etymology

Origin of how1

First recorded before 900; Middle English hou, ou, hu, Old English hū; cognate with Old Frisian hū, ho, Dutch hoe; akin to Old High German hweo, German wie, Gothic hwaiwa

Origin of how2

First recorded in 1810–20; of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

One curiosity was seeing how well the Trailblazers would fare leaving their comfortable home court in Chatsworth to play in an arena setting.

From Los Angeles Times

“The breakthrough is not always in wins and losses. The breakthrough is in how we’re playing and how we’re playing together, and we’re confident we’re going to find it.”

From Los Angeles Times

He later posted a video on TikTok, showing how his earpiece had malfunctioned, playing all of the music twice, like he was singing in the middle of the Grand Canyon.

From BBC

And winning best breakthrough artist, Lola Young noted: "I'm not wearing eye lashes so I don't know how I feel about that right now but we'll make it work."

From BBC

Given all the extra money likely to come into defense companies, how could their stock prices not beat the market?

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.