at all

at all idiom
  1. In any way or manner, as in Is she able to sing at all?
  2. To any extent, as in Was she at all surprised?
  3. For any reason, as in Why bother at all?
  4. In the slightest degree, under any circumstances, as in She simply refused to walk at all. This construction often occurs in the negative, as in He was not at all frightened. All four senses of this phrase date from the mid-1300s.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Related Discussions (2)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
Why have any grammar(s) at all?176 years ago
Not a topic at all139 years ago

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