"anyhow" means: Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
anyhow
Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.
Seen in the wild
10 citations · last seen May 2026
Seen in the wild
BlueskyMay 2026
Anyhow good morning to everyone old enough to legally smoke and vape and that DOES NOT INCLUDE a very sizeable chunk of the actual US military
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
The Italy fans will just kick off down Lygong St anyhow.
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Lots of reasons to buy my children's book. Love the Highlands? Love the seaside? Dreaming of summer holidays? What to get them for May birthdays? Here's a blog-post about it, anyhow. georgehharris.blogspot.com/2024/12…
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
Who wants to visit a police state anyhow 🙄🤔
View source
BlueskyMay 2026
It's soooo bad. The water is in crazy short supply there anyhow!
View source
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.
For parents
"anyhow" means: Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
"anyhow" means: Without care or tidiness; recklessly, negligently or randomly.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Was this helpful?
Comments
#2·Apr 27, 2026
(manner) In any way or manner whatever.
Anyhow, he is dead now.
Heard in the wild
“Anyhow good morning to everyone old enough to legally smoke and vape and that DOES NOT INCLUDE a very sizeable chunk of the actual US military”
— Bluesky· May 2026“The Italy fans will just kick off down Lygong St anyhow.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Lots of reasons to buy my children's book. Love the Highlands? Love the seaside? Dreaming of summer holidays? What to get them for May birthdays? Here's a blog-post about it, anyhow. georgehharris.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Who wants to visit a police state anyhow 🙄🤔”
— Bluesky· May 2026“It's soooo bad. The water is in crazy short supply there anyhow!”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?
Comments
#3·Apr 27, 2026
(conjunctive) In any case. Used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement.
I think they’re asleep; anyhow, they’re quiet.
Heard in the wild
“BK Dems aren't involved in this race, and don't move votes in this district anyhow Reynoso is backed by the Nydia-aligned politicians and orgs (Restler and Gonzalez, Make the Road and Communities for Change), Valdez by DSA, both of which have long opposed the BK Dems”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I mean the president has Mt Weather and Norad and Air Force One. We shouldn't have a single executive with this much power anyhow”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Anyhow, the third photo gallery has to wait because I didn't get the correct link to download photos & we're meeting my mom for lunch before I go to the day job, so it looks like tomorrow will be yet another all day at the keyboard "day off."”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Oh my God and if I go outside and do some yardwork, I’m gonna be hours behind anyhow Oh well, it is what it is Looking forward to your list I’m gonna have to go buy another notebook and some pens”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. - Dan Rather”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Was this helpful?
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "anyhow".
⚡About Tech, Dev & AI slang
The vocabulary of software engineers, AI researchers, and anyone living in a terminal or on GitHub — from LLM to MCP, CORS to vibe coding, agentic to enshittification.
See all Tech, Dev & AI slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "anyhow" (A)
ants in one's pantsant's pantsantsyanxomAnyaany given SundayanyhowlyAnyhowsanyhow whackany moreany old kind of wayanyplace
Browse all slang words starting with A.