if anything

Definitions

1. 1

   Used to suggest or state tentatively that something may be the case (often the opposite…

   Used to suggest or state tentatively that something may be the case (often the opposite of something previously implied).

   • The situation is, if anything, worsening rather than improving.
   • “Do you think she’s tall?” / “Oh, no. If anything, she’s short.”
   • “Do you think she’s tall?” / “Oh, yes. If anything, she’s very tall.”
2. 2

   Used in questions when the speaker does not know for sure if the listener will have an…

   Used in questions when the speaker does not know for sure if the listener will have an answer.

   • What can you tell me, if anything, about this book?
   • Question. What, if anything, did the Indians say respecting their ability to procure the white captives then in possession of the Sioux? Answer. That they thought it would be difficult to do so, […]
   • What are values in the first place? What, if anything, make value judgments correct or incorrect?

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