2 CONJ You use how after certain adjectives and verbs to introduce a statement or fact, often something that you remember or expect other people to know about. □ It's amazing how people collect so much stuff over the years. □ It's important to become acutely aware of how your eating ties in with your stress level.
3 ADV You use how to ask questions about the quantity or degree of something. □ How much money are we talking about? □ How many full-time staff have we got? □ How long will you be staying? □ How old is your son now? □ How fast were you driving? □ He was asked how serious the situation had become.
4 ADV You use how when you are asking someone whether something was successful or enjoyable. □ How was your trip down to Orlando? □ I wonder how Sam got on with him.
5 ADV You use how to ask about someone's health or to find out someone's news. □ Hi! How are you doing? □ How's Rosie? □ How's the job?
6 CONVENTION ' How do you do ' is a polite way of greeting someone when you meet them for the first time. [FORMULAE ]
7 ADV [ADV adj/adv] You use how to emphasize the degree to which something is true. [EMPHASIS ] □ I didn't realize how heavy that shopping was going to be. □ Franklin told them all how happy he was to be in Britain again.
8 ADV You use how in exclamations to emphasize an adjective, adverb, or statement. [EMPHASIS ] □ How strange that something so simple as a walk on the beach could suddenly mean so much.
9 ADV You use how in expressions such as ' How can you… ' and ' How could you… ' to indicate that you disapprove of what someone has done or that you find it hard to believe. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ How can you tell him such awful lies? □ How could he be so indiscreet?
10 ADV You use how in expressions such as ' how about… ' or ' how would you like… ' when you are making an offer or a suggestion. □ How about a cup of coffee? □ You want Jeannie to make the appointment for you? How about the end of next week?
11 CONVENTION If you ask someone ' How about you? ' you are asking them what they think or want. □ Well, I enjoyed that. How about you two?
12 PHRASE You use how about to introduce a new subject which you think is relevant to the conversation you have been having. □ Are your products and services competitive? How about marketing?
13 PHRASE You ask ' How come? ' or ' How so? ' when you are surprised by something and are asking why it happened or was said. [INFORMAL ] □ 'They don't say a single word to each other.'—'How come?' USAGE how
Don’t use ‘how’ to ask what kind of person someone is. For example, if you are asking someone for a description of their boss, don’t say ‘
how|dy /haʊ di/ CONVENTION ' Howdy ' is an informal way of saying 'Hello'. [AM , DIALECT , FORMULAE ]
how|ever ◆◆◆ /haʊe və r /
1 ADV You use however when you are adding a comment which is surprising or which contrasts with what has just been said. □ This was not an easy decision. It is, however, a decision that we feel is dictated by our duty. □ Some of the food crops failed. However, the cotton did quite well.
2 ADV [ADV adj/adv, ADV many/much ] You use however before an adjective or adverb to emphasize that the degree or extent of something cannot change a situation. [EMPHASIS ] □ You should always strive to achieve more, however well you have done before. □ However hard she tried, nothing seemed to work.
3 CONJ You use however when you want to say that it makes no difference how something is done. □ However we adopt healthcare reform, it isn't going to save major amounts of money. □ Wear your hair however you want.
4 ADV [ADV many/much , ADV adv] You use however in expressions such as or however long it takes and or however many there were to indicate that the figure you have just mentioned may not be accurate. [VAGUENESS ] □ Wait 30 to 60 minutes or however long it takes.
5 ADV You can use however to ask in an emphatic way how something has happened which you are very surprised about. Some speakers of English think that this form is incorrect and prefer to use 'how ever'. [EMPHASIS ] □ However did you find this place in such weather? SYNONYMS however ADV 1
nevertheless: One in three marriages fail. Nevertheless, people continue to get married.
stilclass="underline" I'm average for my height. But I still feel fat.
yet: It is completely waterproof, yet light and comfortable.
how|itz|er /haʊ I tsə r / (howitzers ) N‑COUNT A howitzer is a large gun with a short barrel, which fires shells high up into the air so that they will drop down onto the target.
howl /haʊ l/ (howls , howling , howled )
1 VERB If an animal such as a wolf or a dog howls , it makes a long, loud, crying sound. □ [V ] Somewhere in the streets beyond a dog suddenly howled, baying at the moon. ● N‑COUNT Howl is also a noun. □ The dog let out a savage howl and, wheeling round, flew at him.
2 VERB If a person howls , they make a long, loud cry expressing pain, anger, or unhappiness. □ [V ] He howled like a wounded animal as blood spurted from the gash. ● N‑COUNT Howl is also a noun. □ With a howl of rage, he grabbed the neck of a broken bottle and advanced.