anybody
gb/ˈɛnibədi/ us/ˈɛnibədi/
A2
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A2
relation
1
any person at all
Used to mean any person, without saying which person.
Usage pattern:
[Anybody] can [verb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'anybody' with 'somebody'. 'Anybody' is used for general or negative contexts, while 'somebody' means a specific but unknown person.
Synonyms
anyone (Virtually identical in meaning; 'anyone' is slightly more common in writing.)
Antonyms
nobody (Means no person at all, the opposite of 'anybody'.)
Collocations
anybody else
|ask anybody
|tell anybody
|hardly anybody
|if anybody
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Anybody can learn to cook with practice.
- Has anybody seen my keys?
- You can invite anybody you like to the party.
- Anybody who works here must wear an ID badge.
- If anybody calls, tell them I’m not available.
Learner examples
- Anybody can play this game.
- Did anybody call you?
- Anybody can join the club.
- I don’t know anybody here.
Grammar
Dictionary form
anybody
IPA
GB/ˈɛnibədi/
US/ˈɛnibədi/
Syllables & stress
any - body (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (any)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: anybody
- Plural: anybodies
Word family
Expressions
anybody else
1/ˈɛnibədi ˈɛls/
fixed phrase
any other person
Used to mean another person, not the one already mentioned.
Examples
- Is there anybody else who wants to speak?
- I don’t want anybody else to get hurt.
hardly anybody
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛnibədi/
fixed phrase
almost no one
Used to say that almost no people are involved or present.
Examples
- Hardly anybody came to the meeting.
- It was so early that hardly anybody was on the street.
if anybody
1/ˈɪf ˈɛnibədi/
fixed phrase
in case someone does
Used when talking about something that might happen if a person does something.
Examples
- If anybody asks, tell them I’m out.
- If anybody needs help, let me know.