whatever
gb/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ/ us/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ/
A2
Anglais
~ 800
Sens
0 sens
pronoun
A2
entity
1
anything or everything, no matter what
Used to talk about anything, no matter what it is.
Schéma d’usage :
[whatever] [verb phrase]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'whatever' with 'whichever', but 'whichever' is used when choosing from a known set, while 'whatever' can be from any set or kind.
Synonymes
anything (More neutral and general, without the slight informal tone 'whatever' can have.)
Antonymes
nothing (Refers to the absence of anything, the opposite of 'anything' or 'everything'.)
Collocations
whatever happens
|whatever reason
|whatever you want
|whatever it takes
Thèmes
daily life
|general
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- You can choose whatever you like from the menu.
- Take whatever you need for the trip.
- Whatever we decide, we must stick to it.
- She said she would support me, whatever happens.
Exemples pédagogiques
- You can eat whatever you want.
- Take whatever you need from the box.
- I will go wherever and do whatever you ask.
- Choose whatever color you like.
interjection
informal
B1
action
2
expression of not caring or dismissing
Used to say you do not care about something.
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may overuse this in formal contexts where it can sound rude or dismissive.
Synonymes
meh (Very informal and slang-like; indicates indifference in a casual way.)
Antonymes
exactly (Shows strong agreement or emphasis, opposite in tone to indifference.)
Collocations
oh, whatever
|yeah, whatever
|whatever, let's go
Thèmes
emotions
|conversation
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- 'We could go to the beach.' 'Whatever, I don't mind.'
- 'You forgot to call me.' 'Whatever.'
- He just shrugged and said, 'Whatever.'
Exemples pédagogiques
- 'Do you want pizza?' 'Whatever.'
- She said, 'Whatever,' and left.
- He answered, 'Whatever,' when I asked.
adjective
B1
property
3
of any kind, without limits
Any kind or type; no limits.
Schéma d’usage :
[whatever] [noun]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'whichever', which usually refers to a choice from a specific group.
Synonymes
any (Shorter and more common in many contexts; 'whatever' can sound slightly more emphatic.)
Antonymes
specific (Indicates a limited and defined kind, opposite of unrestricted.)
Collocations
whatever reason
|whatever choice
|whatever method
Thèmes
general
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- We can use whatever method works best.
- For whatever reason, she didn't come.
- They accepted whatever help was offered.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We can take whatever bus comes first.
- He will eat whatever food I cook.
- You can wear whatever clothes you like.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
whatever
API
GB/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ/
US/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ/
Syllabes et accentuation
whatever (1 syllabe)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: whatever
- Comparative: whateverer
- Superlative: whateverest
Famille de mots
Forms
whateverer
adjective
whateverest
adjective
Core family
what
pronoun A1
Related words
whichever
pronoun B1
Advanced or less common
whatsoever
pronoun B1
Expressions
or whatever
1/ˈɔɹ wˌʌtˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
or something similar or approximate
Used after something to mean other similar things or something like that.
Exemples
- We could go to the park or whatever.
- Bring some snacks or whatever you think we might need.
whatever it takes
1/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ ˈɪt tˈeɪks/
fixed phrase
do anything needed to succeed
Do anything that is needed to reach a goal.
Exemples
- We will do whatever it takes to win.
- She promised to do whatever it takes to protect her family.
whatever floats your boat
1/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ flˈoʊts jˈʊɹ bˈoʊt/
idiom
informal
do what makes you happy
Do what makes you happy or is right for you, even if others don't agree.
Exemples
- If you want to wear pajamas all day, whatever floats your boat.
- You like putting ketchup on pizza? Whatever floats your boat.
- He likes pineapple on pizza—whatever floats your boat.
- If you want to work all night, whatever floats your boat.
- He listens to the same song all day, but hey, whatever floats his boat.
whatever floats your boat
2/wˌʌtˈɛvɚ flˈoʊts jˈʊɹ bˈoʊt/
idiom
informal
Do what makes you happy
Do whatever you like or enjoy, even if others don’t agree.
Exemples
- You want pineapple on pizza? Whatever floats your boat.
- He spends his weekends birdwatching – whatever floats his boat.