• IPA: /ˈɛniweɪ/

anyway (not comparable)

1. (conjunctive) regardless#Adverb|Regardless; anyhow. [from 19th c.]

   He didn't enjoy washing his car, but it was so dirty that he did it anyway.

2. (speech act) Used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement. See anyhow and at least. [from 19th c.]

   I don't think that's true. I haven't found any evidence, anyway.

   • 1962, Bob Dylan, Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

     But I wish there were somethin' you would do or say / To try and make me change my mind and stay / We never did too much talkin' anyway / Don't think twice, it's all right.

3. (speech act) Used to indicate a change of subject.
4. (speech act) Used at the end of a question for emphasis, or to direct the conversation to something of more broad importance (compare with more to the point).
   • 1899, Jack London, “To the Man on the Trail”, The Overland Monthly, page 36 ↗:

     “But I say, Kid, isn't that going it a little too strong? Whisky and alcohol's bad enough; but when it comes to brandy and pepper-sauce and—” ¶ “Dump it in. Who's making this punch, anyway?”

   • 1992, Timothy Zahn, Heir to the Empire, Spectra (ISBN 9780553296129), page 154 ↗:

     “We should probably wait until Luke gets here to talk about it,” Leia suggested quietly before Han could answer. Lando glanced past Han, as if only just noticing Luke's absence. “Where is he, anyway?”

5. (obsolete) In any way. [16th-19th c.]
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970 ↗, partition II, section 2, member 5:

     He that sleeps in the day-time, or is in suspense, fear, anyway troubled in mind, or goes to bed upon a full stomach, may never hope for quiet rest in the night […].

• anywise, anyroad, any road up, any old way

• French: quand même, de toute façon
• German: trotzdem, ohnehin
• Italian: senza riguardo, comunque
• Portuguese: mesmo assim, de qualquer forma, de qualquer maneira, de todo modo
• Russian: несмотря́ (на что-либо)
• Spanish: aún así, a pesar de todo, igualmente, de todos modos, de todas formas

• French: en tout cas, de toute façon, d'ailleurs
• German: auf jeden Fall, irgendwie, jedenfalls, trotzdem
• Italian: in ogni caso
• Portuguese: mesmo
• Russian: в любо́м слу́чае
• Spanish: de cualquier manera, de todos modos

• French: bref
• German: wie auch immer
• Italian: comunque, ad ogni modo
• Portuguese: de qualquer modo
• Russian: кста́ти

• French: quoi qu'il en soit
• German: wie auch immer
• Italian: comunque, in ogni modo
• Portuguese: de qualquer forma
• Russian: в любо́м слу́чае
• Spanish: en fin, de todos modos