how

See also: How

how - English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • enPR: hou, IPA: /haʊ/
  • (General Australian) IPA: /hæɔ/

Adverb

how (not comparable)

  1. (interrogative) To what degree or extent.
    • How often do you practice?
    • The gauge indicated how hot the oven was.
  2. (interrogative) In what manner:
    1. By what means.
      • How do you solve this puzzle?
      • How else can we get this finished?
      • She showed him how to do it.
    2. With overtones of why, for what reason.
      • How should I know whether he likes raisins or not? Ask him!
    3. In what form, shape, measure, quantity, etc.
    4. With what meaning or effect.
      • How the stock market interprets events has real consequences.
    5. By what title or what name.
    6. At what price, for what amount (of money).
  3. (interrogative) In what state or condition.
    • How are you?
    • How was your vacation?
  4. Used as a modifier to indicate surprise, delight, or other strong feelings in an exclamation.
    • How very interesting!
    • How wonderful it was to receive your invitation.

Usage notes

  • See usage notes on else (adverb).
  • How good is it? means "To what extent is it good?", whereas How is it good? means "In what manner is it good?". Likewise, I know how good it is means "I know the extent to which it is good", whereas I know how it is good means "I know the manner in which it is good".

Derived terms

Translations

Conjunction

how

  1. The manner or way in which.
    • I remember how I solved this puzzle.
  2. In any way in which; in whatever way; however.
    • People should be free to live how they want.
  3. That, the fact that.
    • She told me how her father was a doctor.

Translations

Noun

how (plural hows or how's)

  1. The means by which something is accomplished.
    • I am not interested in the why, but in the how.

Alternative forms

Noun

how (plural hows)

  1. (dialectal) An artificial barrow or tumulus; in later folklore, associated with fairies.
  2. (dialectal) A small hill in northern England. (Usage preserved mainly in place names.)

Alternative forms

Interjection

how

  1. A greeting, used in representations of Native American speech.

Anagrams

how - Abau

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /hou/

Noun

how

  1. taro

how - Alabama

Adverb

how

  1. yes

Synonyms

how - Lower Sorbian

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ɔw/, [ow]

Adverb

how

  1. here

how - Middle English

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /huː/, /wuː/

Adverb

how

  1. how

Descendants

Conjunction

how

  1. how

Descendants


Noun

how

  1. Alternative form of hough (promontory)

how - Yola

Adverb

how

  1. Alternative form of fowe
Meaning and Definition of how
© 2022 WordCodex