anyone
gb/ˈɛniwˌʌn/ us/ˈɛniwˌʌn/
A2
English
~ 700
Senses
0 senses
pronoun
A2
relation
1
any person, no matter who
Used to talk about any person, not a specific one.
Usage pattern:
[anyone] + [verb/auxiliary verb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'anyone' with 'someone'. 'Anyone' is used for general or negative contexts, while 'someone' is used when referring to an unspecified but definite person.
Synonyms
anybody (Interchangeable in most contexts; 'anybody' is slightly more informal.)
Antonyms
no one (Refers to not a single person, the opposite of 'anyone'.)
Collocations
anyone else
|anyone can
|if anyone
|hardly anyone
|almost anyone
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Anyone can learn to swim if they practice.
- Has anyone seen my phone?
- I don’t know anyone in this city.
- If anyone calls, tell them I’m busy.
- Hardly anyone showed up to the meeting.
Learner examples
- Anyone can play this game.
- Did anyone call you?
- I don’t know anyone here.
- Has anyone seen my bag?
- Anyone can join the club.
Grammar
Dictionary form
anyone
IPA
GB/ˈɛniwˌʌn/
US/ˈɛniwˌʌn/
Syllables & stress
any - one (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (any)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: anyone
- Plural: anyones
Word family
Expressions
anyone else
1/ˈɛniwˌʌn ˈɛls/
fixed phrase
any other person
Any other person that is not the one already talked about.
Examples
- Does anyone else want some coffee?
- I don't think anyone else knows about this.
hardly anyone
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛniwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
almost no person
Very few people; almost nobody.
Examples
- Hardly anyone came to the party.
- There’s hardly anyone in the park today.
if anyone
1/ˈɪf ˈɛniwˌʌn/
fixed phrase
conditional reference to any person
Used to say what will happen if some person (no matter who) does something.
Examples
- If anyone calls, tell them I’m out.
- If anyone asks, we were never here.