Anybody
/ˈɛniˌbɑdi/
pronounBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Meaning
Questions
Definitions
1
Any person; one person out of an unspecified number.
/ˈɛniˌbɑdi/
pronounneutralBeginner
General
Any person whatsoever.
Anybody can do it if they try hard enough.
💡 Simply: Any person at all.
More Examples
2
Is anybody there?
3
I didn't see anybody at the party.
How It's Used
General Conversation
"Is anybody home?"
Informal Writing
"Anybody can learn to play the guitar with enough practice."
From 'any' + 'body'. 'Body' here derives from Old English 'bodi', meaning 'person'. The meaning has evolved from simply meaning any person to also include the sense of 'anyone at all'.
The use of 'anybody' has remained relatively consistent over time, primarily maintaining its informal tone.
Memory tip
Think 'any' person; it's a pronoun replacing 'any person'.
Practice
anybody'sanybodianibody
Usage
70%Spoken
30%Written