"why" meaning in English

See why in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adverb

IPA: /ʍaɪ/ [UK], /waɪ/ [US] Audio: en-ne-why.ogg [US], en-us-why.ogg [US], en-uk-why.ogg [UK] Forms: why [positive], [comparative], Superlative–
enPR: hwī [UK], wī [US] Head templates: {{adverb}} [POS TABLE]
  1. Used to ask the reason for something.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-adv-AbwRjdIV
  2. Used to talk about the reason for something.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-adv-cVaFGV2k
  3. Used to give more information about the reason for something.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-adv-mSCkrMQ6
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Categories (other): Adverbs

Interjection

IPA: /ʍaɪ/ [UK], /waɪ/ [US] Audio: en-ne-why.ogg [US], en-us-why.ogg [US], en-uk-why.ogg [UK] Forms: why
enPR: hwī [UK], wī [US] Head templates: {{interjection}} [POS TABLE]
  1. Used to show a person's surprise or impatience about something.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-intj-lhrPz65Z

Noun

IPA: /ʍaɪ/ [UK], /waɪ/ [US] Audio: en-ne-why.ogg [US], en-us-why.ogg [US], en-uk-why.ogg [UK] Forms: why [singular], whys or whies [plural]
enPR: hwī [UK], wī [US] Head templates: {{noun|why|whys|whies}} [POS TABLE]
  1. (plural: whys) The reason to something.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-noun-Adzw0ags
  2. (plural: whies) (UK) A why is a young cow or woman.
    Sense id: simple-why-en-noun-6CYujjS1
{
  "categories": [
    {
      "kind": "other",
      "name": "Adverbs",
      "parents": [],
      "source": "w"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "–",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Superlative–"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Why did you say that?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Why did you try to steal money from this shop?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to ask the reason for something."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-adv-AbwRjdIV",
      "raw_tags": [
        "question"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I wonder why he did that."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to talk about the reason for something."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-adv-cVaFGV2k",
      "raw_tags": [
        "question"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Can you tell me the reason why he did that?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to give more information about the reason for something."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-adv-mSCkrMQ6",
      "raw_tags": [
        "relative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Interjection"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "interjection"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Why! Thank you for the present."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to show a person's surprise or impatience about something."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-intj-lhrPz65Z"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whys or whies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "why",
        "2": "whys",
        "3": "whies"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Whenever you begin to write an essay, please do not forget to talk about the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(plural: whys) The reason to something."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-noun-Adzw0ags"
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "(plural: whies) (UK) A why is a young cow or woman."
      ],
      "id": "simple-why-en-noun-6CYujjS1"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Adverbs"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "tags": [
        "positive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "–",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Superlative–"
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "adverb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adv",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Why did you say that?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Why did you try to steal money from this shop?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to ask the reason for something."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "question"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I wonder why he did that."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to talk about the reason for something."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "question"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Can you tell me the reason why he did that?"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to give more information about the reason for something."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "relative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Interjection"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "interjection"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "intj",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Why! Thank you for the present."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Used to show a person's surprise or impatience about something."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "why",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "whys or whies",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "why",
        "2": "whys",
        "3": "whies"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Whenever you begin to write an essay, please do not forget to talk about the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(plural: whys) The reason to something."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "(plural: whies) (UK) A why is a young cow or woman."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "enpr": "hwī",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ʍaɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/WaI/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "enpr": "wī",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/waɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "sampa": "/waI/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-ne-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-uk-why.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "why"
}

Download raw JSONL data for why meaning in English (2.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the simplewiktionary dump dated 2024-12-20 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.