Meaning of else in English

else

adverb

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/els/ us

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/els/

used after words beginning with any-, every-, no-, and some-, or after how, what, where, who, why, but not which, to mean 'other', 'another', 'different', 'extra':

Everybody else has (= all the other people have) agreed except for you.

If it doesn't work, try something else (= something different).

Let's go before they ask us to visit anyone else (= another person).

It's not my bag. It must be someone else's (= it must belong to another person).

The book isn't here. Where else (= in what other place) should I look?

He came to see you. Why else (= for what other reason) would he come?

After I'd thanked them I didn't know what else (= what other things) to say.

More examples

She arrived before everyone else.
Some species exist in this small area of forest and nowhere else on earth.
I'm not buying the children anything else today - I've spent far too much money already.
He looked nervously over his shoulder, making sure no one else was listening.
I'm sorry, I don't know - you'll have to ask someone else.

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Different and difference

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Also, extra, and in addition

Grammar

Else

…

Else with someone, anybody, nobody, etc.

We use else after words beginning with any-, every-, no- and some-, to mean ‘other’, ‘another’, ‘different’ or ‘additional’. …

Else with who, what, where, etc.

We use else after how, what, where, who and why to mean ‘other’, ‘another’, ‘different’ or ‘additional’: …

Else: orelse

We use or else to say what the result will be if something does not happen: …

Idiom

or else

(Definition of else from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

else | American Dictionary

else

adverb [ not gradable ]

Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio

/els/

(after words beginning with any-, every-, no-, and some-, or after how, what, where, who, and why, but not which) other, another, different, additional:

If it doesn’t work, try something else (= something different/another way or thing).

Let’s go before anyone else (= another/an additional person) arrives.

The book isn’t here – where else (= In what other place) should I look?

(Definition of else from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of else

else

Under the "guardianship tradition" we feel compelled to watch over human bodies - our own and everyone else's - and to prevent dismembering.

From Cambridge English Corpus

In a sense, committed action is neither about one's own goals, nor about anybody else's goals.

From Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from the Cambridge English Corpus and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

More examples Fewer examples

Consider the woman who runs into a burning building to save someone else's child.

From Cambridge English Corpus

Anybody's guess was as good as anybody else's.

From Cambridge English Corpus

Very much one feels like a guest in somebody else's home, which is very nice.

From Cambridge English Corpus

The ability to take someone else's perspective first emerges in early childhood.

From Cambridge English Corpus

There is no expectation that people can be forced to use someone else's terms and de®nitions.

From Cambridge English Corpus

The corporation duly granted itself permission to build its gasworks on someone else's territory, and broke its habit of opposing incorporation.

From Cambridge English Corpus

They feel like they're putting a family member out, they're breaking, interfering in someone else's ability to work or take care of their children.

From Cambridge English Corpus

In such a partnership, the other player is simply dramatis persona in someone else's script.

From Cambridge English Corpus

Anything you type on your keyboard is shown shortly afterwards on everyone else's screens.

From Cambridge English Corpus

The sin is always someone else's for us to condemn and, in condemning, absolve ourselves of guilt.

From Cambridge English Corpus

They are more likely to believe someone else's judgement about their voice than their own.

From Cambridge English Corpus

There seem to be also impor tant psychological differences between performing one's own composition and performing someone else's.

From Cambridge English Corpus

I can then visualize placing my taper on top of everyone else's.

From Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of else

Translations of else

in Chinese (Traditional)

in Japanese

in Turkish

in French

in Catalan

in Arabic

in Czech

in Danish

in Indonesian

in Thai

in Vietnamese

in Polish

in Malay

in German

in Norwegian

in Korean

in Portuguese

in Chinese (Simplified)

in Italian

in Russian

in Spanish

（用於以 any-，every-，no- 和 some- 開頭的詞後面，或用於 how，what，where，who，why 之後，但不用於 which 之後）其他，另外，別的…

そのほかに, 他の人（こと、所）に…

başka, başka birşey, ayrıca…

autre, d’autre, (d’)autre…

més, un altre, diferent…

آخَر, مُخْتَلِف…

jiný, jinde, jinam…

anden, andet, ellers…

selain itu…

นอกจากนี้…

thêm vào hoặc ngoài (cái đã được đề cập)…

jeszcze, indziej, inny…

lain…

andere (-r/-s)…

annet, andre, ellers…

또, 다른…

mais, outro…

（用于以 any-，every-，no- 和 some- 开头的词后面，或用于 how，what，where，who，why 之后，但不用于 which 之后）其他，另外，别的…

altro, di più…

еще, другой, остальное…

más, otro, diferente…

Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool

What is the pronunciation of else?

Browse

eloping

eloquence

eloquent

eloquently

else

elsewhere

ELT

elucidate

elucidated

Meaning of else in English

Grammar

Idiom

else | American Dictionary

Examples of else

Translations of else

Browse

Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes