Oxford logo
Toggle navigation
Redeem
Upgrade
Help
Sign in
Dictionaries
Dictionaries home
English
American English
Academic
Collocations
German-English
Grammar
Grammar home
Practical English Usage
Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
Word Lists
Word Lists home
My Word Lists
Topics
Recent additions
Resources
Resources home
Text Checker
Sign in
Dictionaries
Dictionaries home
English
American English
Academic
Collocations
German-English
Grammar
Grammar home
Practical English Usage
Learn & Practise Grammar (Beta)
Word Lists
Word Lists home
My Word Lists
Topics
Recent additions
Resources
Resources home
Text Checker
Redeem
Upgrade
Help
TOP
American English
English
American English
Academic English
Collocations
Practical English Usage
German-English
English-German
English
American English
Enter search text
Definition of
why exclamation
from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
why
exclamation
exclamation
NAmE
/
/
waɪ
/
/
jump to other results
used to express surprise, lack of patience, etc.
Why Jane, it's you!
Why, it's easy—a child could do it!
See
why
in the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Check pronunciation:
why
Other results
All matches
why
adverb
why
noun
why ever
why not?
I don't know how, why, etc…
how, why, etc. in the world
what, where, who, why, etc. the devil…
how, why, where, who, etc. on earth
Lord (only) knows (what, where, why, etc.)…
See more
Idioms
why ever
why not?
I don't know how, why, etc…
how, why, etc. in the world
what, where, who, why, etc. the devil…
how, why, where, who, etc. on earth
Lord (only) knows (what, where, why, etc.)…
See more
Nearby words
wh-word
noun
why
adverb
why
exclamation
why
noun
WI
abbreviation