Etimology
From Middle English why, from Old English hwȳ (“why”), from Proto-Germanic *hwī (“by what, how”), from Proto-Indo-European *kʷey, instrumental case of *kʷis (“who”), *kʷid (“what”). Cognate with Old Saxon hwī (“why”), hwiu (“how; why”), Middle High German wiu (“how, why”), archaic Danish and Norwegian Bokmål hvi (“why”), Norwegian Nynorsk kvi (“why”), Swedish vi (“why”), Faroese and Icelandic hví (“why”), Latin quī (“why”), Doric Greek πεῖ (peî, “where”), Ukrainian чи (čy, “if”), Polish czy, Czech či (“or”), Serbo-Croatian či (“if”). Compare Old English þȳ (“because, since, on that account, therefore, then”, literally “by that, for that”). See thy.
adverb
why (not comparable)
(interrogative) For what cause, reason, or purpose.
(relative) For which cause, reason, or purpose.
(fused relative) The cause, reason, or purpose for which.
Examples
Why is the sky blue?
Why did you do that?
I don’t know why he did that
Tell me why the moon changes phase.
Why do you have a map of the world? Audio
Audio
Why don't you ask her out for dinner?
Why spend money on something you already get for free?
Why not tell him how you feel?
Why him? Why not someone taller?
That's the reason why I did that.
That is why the sky is blue.
Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.
Related words
synonyms
how come, wherefore, to what end, what for, why so, (obsolete) for why
noun
why (plural whys or why's)
Reason.
Examples
A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how.
Within months of leaving, she became the new owner of Dream Body Recovery in Miami, which has three rooms that can accommodate up to six clients. “Being a part of this journey with other ladies, knowing how it changed my life, that’s my why,” she told me.
Related words
synonyms
wherefore
interjection
why
(dated or literary) An exclamation used to express pleasant or unpleasant mild surprise, indignation, or impatience.
Examples
Why, that’s ridiculous! Why, how kind of you!
VVhy Child, I tell thee if I vvas thy Mmother I ſhould not diſovvn thee; Don't you ſee I am as kind to you as if I vvas your Mother?
verb
why (third-person singular simple present whies, present participle whying, simple past and past participle whied)
(intransitive, transitive) To ask (someone) the question "why?".
Examples
Why indeed? But once you start whying, there's no end to it.
noun
why (plural whies)
(UK, dialect, archaic) A young heifer.
Examples
At two years old, also, the HEIFERS - provincially, “whies,” are generally put to the bull.
noun
why
Alternative form of wye; the name of the Latin-script letter Y.
Examples
ee, why, ee, ess, eyes
eff you see kay why oh you.
I hear you. But hear me out, all right? Because I mean what I’m about to say. Eff-you-see-kay-why-oh-you. Fuck you.
Like many folks do when taking medicine past its expiration date, Jerry had questioned its effectiveness. The pill had answered with a resounding why ee ess, and Jerry couldn’t tell between the Custom Costume in his pocket and himself.
Miss said, “Love your outfit, bee-tee-double-u.” It took me a second to realize she meant “btw.” “Is it vintage?” / I looked down at my school uniform. Fudgsicles. “Tee-why,” said Jahna, for “ty.” “And why-ee-ess yes!”