Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - any

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. You use any in statements with negative meaning to indicate that no thing or person of a particular type exists, is present, or is involved in a situation. I never make any big decisions... We are doing this all without any support from the hospital... Earlier reports were unable to confirm that there were any survivors... DET: DET pl-n/n-uncount • Any is also a quantifier. You don’t know any of my friends... QUANT: QUANT of def-n-uncount/def-pl-n • Any is also a pronoun. The children needed new school clothes and Kim couldn’t afford any. PRON: PRON after v 2. You use any in questions and conditional clauses to ask whether there is some of a particular thing or some of a particular group of people, or to suggest that there might be. Do you speak any foreign languages?... Have you got any cheese I can have with this bread? DET: DET pl-n/n-uncount • Any is also a quantifier. Have you ever used a homeopathic remedy for any of the following reasons? QUANT: QUANT of def-n-uncount/def-pl-n • Any is also a pronoun. The plants are inspected for insects and if I find any, they are squashed. PRON: PRON after v 3. You use any in positive statements when you are referring to someone or something of a particular kind that might exist, occur, or be involved in a situation, when their exact identity or nature is not important. Any actor will tell you that it is easier to perform than to be themselves... I’m prepared to take any advice... DET • Any is also a quantifier. It had been the biggest mistake any of them could remember. QUANT: QUANT of def-n-uncount/def-pl-n • Any is also a pronoun. Clean the mussels and discard any that do not close. PRON 4. You can also use any to emphasize a comparative adjective or adverb in a negative statement. I can’t see things getting any easier for graduates... ADV: ADV compar c darkgreen]emphasis 5. If you say that someone or something is not just any person or thing, you mean that they are special in some way. It’s fashionable for young people to wear trainers, but not just any trainers. PHRASE: PHR n 6. If something does not happen or is not true any more or any longer, it has stopped happening or is no longer true. I don’t want to see her any more... I couldn’t keep the tears hidden any longer. PHRASE: PHR after v 7. in any case: see case by any chance: see chance in any event: see event not by any means: see means any old: see old at any rate: see rate