as
Language: English
Part of speech: conj
Pronunciation: note: stressed form
ipa: /æz/
ipa: [æz]
ipa: [az]
rhymes: -æz
ipa: /əz/
Forms: form: -'s
Etymology: From Middle English as, als(a), alswa, from Old English eallswā (“just so; as”), thus representing a reduced form of also. Compare German Low German a(l)s, German als, Dutch als.
Senses: examples: text: Do as I say!
text: I'm under a lot of pressure, as you know.
text: As you wish, my lord!
text: Mom was slim, as were most of her relatives.
text: The kidnappers released him as (was) agreed.
text: A nearby to-infinitive may be a factor for choosing 'in order to', as will emphasis.
text: "But he's good as dead, and I ain't about to waste a bullet."
ref: 2001, Jason Manning, Mountain Honor, Signet Book, →ISBN:
glosses: In the (same) way or manner that; to the (same) degree that.
examples: text: She's twice as strong as I was two years ago.
text: It's not so complicated as I expected.
text: It’s as easy to do it right as it is to do it wrong.
glosses: In the (same) way or manner that; to the (same) degree that.
Used after so or as to introduce a comparison.
examples: text: [...] that the Board of Regents had fallen into disrepute; that intelligent men inquired what the board was; he said that it was a quiet body, and kept out of the newspapers — and so quiet as to lead many to suppose tho board had ceased to exist.
ref: 1868, Proceedings and Debates of the [New York] Constitutional Convention Held in 1867 and 1868 in the City of Albany, page 2853:
text: It was a talent he had developed; he could actually be so quiet as to be practically invisible. In class, he was rarely called upon to answer any questions. In the crowded hallways, he could slip in and out without offending any of the local bullies ...
ref: 2006, Eric Manasse, The Twenty-First Man, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 7:
text: Under most circumstances, it will be possible to draw a distinction sufficiently clear as to allow an unambiguous allocation to one or other category.
ref: 2011, Herwig C. H. Hofmann, Gerard C. Rowe, Alexander H. Türk, Administrative Law and Policy of the European Union, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 507:
glosses: In the (same) way or manner that; to the (same) degree that.
Used to introduce a result: with the result that it is; as to
examples: text: (As) much as I respect your viewpoint, I can’t agree.
text: (As) bravely as they fought, they soon lost the battle.
text: Try as she might, she could not escape.
text: 1843 (first published), Thomas Babington Macaulay, Essays
We wish, however, to avail ourselves of the interest, transient as it may be, which this work has excited.
text: If this happens, be patient and, difficult as it may be, try not to take these reactions personally.
ref: 2009, Matthew Friedman, Laurie B. Slone, J Friedman, After the War Zone, →ISBN:
glosses: In the (same) way or manner that; to the (same) degree that.
Expressing concession: though.
examples: text: As I came in, she fled.
glosses: At the time that; during the time when:
At the same instant or moment that: when.
examples: text: He sleeps as the rain falls.
glosses: At the time that; during the time when:
At the same time that, during the same time when: while.
examples: text: As my fear grew, so did my legs become heavy.
text: As she grew older, she grew wiser.
glosses: At the time that; during the time when:
Varying through time in the same proportion that.
examples: text: As it’s too late, I quit.
text: (As) tired as he was, I decided not to disturb him.
synonyms: word: as
word: as long as
word: because
word: being
word: being as
word: being that
word: due to the fact that
word: for
word: for that
word: forasmuch as
word: forthy
word: forwhy
word: given that
word: in regard
word: in that
word: inasmuch as
word: now that
word: on account of
word: seeing that
word: since
word: sith
word: sithence
word: when
word: ∵
glosses: Being that, considering that, because, since.
examples: text: And sodenly there cam a sounde from heven as it had bene the commynge off a myghty wynde […]
ref: 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Acts ij:
text: Oft haue I ſeene the haughty Cardinall,
 More like a Souldier then a man o' th' Church,
 As ſtout and proud as he were Lord of all […]
ref: 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
text: And then he flue on hir as he were wood, / And on hir breeche did hack and foyne a-good.
ref: 1593, Thomas Nashe, The Choice of Valentines, lines 140-141:
text: I start as from some dreadful dream.
ref: 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or, the Double Discovery. […], London: […] Richard Tonson and Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, (please specify the page number):
text: I feel securely fixed on the careering chair, and with the momentum gained I steer myself as on skis to the guard and come to a stop with a happy little flourish.
ref: 1990, Andrew Fetler, “The third count”, in Triquarterly, number Spring:
text: They think they are romantic, tragic figures, exiled as on Elba. They picture themselves as enlightened barons bringing civilization, opportunity, and kindness to the brown-skinned.
ref: 1992/1993 Winter, Katherine Weissman, “The Divorce Gang”, in Ploughshares, volume 18, number 4, page 202:
text: Newspapers and magazines would load their graphics, and you could doodle as on the Sony Reader Daily Edition.
ref: 2011 January 30, Kyle Wagner, “E-readers lighten a traveler's load But choosing the right unit means weighing features, cost, ease of use”, in Denver Post, page Travel 1:
glosses: Introducing a comparison with a hypothetical state (+ subjunctive, or with the verb elided): as though, as if.
examples: text: The case is dismissed as between Jones and Smith.
text: The case is dismissed as against Smith.
topics: law
glosses: used before a preposition to clarify that the prepositional phrase restricts the meaning of the sentence; specifically.
examples: text: You strike me as being a very fidgety type of person.
text: He had the same problem as she did getting the lock open.
text: I read this extract as being extremely pessimistic.
text: Now will he sit under a medlar tree,
And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit,
As maids call medlars, when they laugh alone.
ref: c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
text: the temper is to be altered and amended, with such things as fortify and strengthen the heart and brain […]
ref: 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 5, member 1, subsection v:
text: ‘Sissy is not a name,’ said Mr. Gradgrind. ‘Don’t call yourself Sissy. Call yourself Cecilia.’
‘It’s father as calls me Sissy, sir,’ returned the young girl in a trembling voice, and with another curtsey.
ref: 1854, Charles Dickens, “Book I, Chapter II”, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC:
text: “If I had, if I could hold me head up with the better folk, perhaps I'd think again, but I don't reckon as that's very likely now.”
ref: 2016, Alan Moore, Jerusalem, Liveright, published 2016, page 99:
glosses: Functioning as a relative conjunction, and sometimes like a relative pronoun: that, which, who. (See usage notes.)
examples: text: The king was not more forward to bestow favours on them as they free to deal affronts to others their superiors.
ref: 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
text: Darkness itself is no more opposite to light as their actions were diametricall to their words.
ref: 1660, James Howell, Parly of Beasts, page 48:
qualifier: Midland US and Southern US
glosses: Than.
Synonyms: sense: expressing concession
word: albeit
word: although
word: even though
sense: at the same time that
word: while
word: whilst
word: while
sense: being that
word: given that
word: seeing that
word: because
Derived terms: as much as
forasmuch
green as a gooseberry
green as grass
much as
whenas
whereas
whereäs