Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
You use ~ 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 ~ big decisions...
We are doing this all without ~ support from the hospital...
Earlier reports were unable to confirm that there were ~ survivors...
DET: DET pl-n/n-uncount
•
Any is also a quantifier.
You don’t know ~ 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 ~.
PRON: PRON after v
2.
You use ~ 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 ~ foreign languages?...
Have you got ~ 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 ~ 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 ~, they are squashed.
PRON: PRON after v
3.
You use ~ 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 ~ advice...
DET
•
Any is also a quantifier.
It had been the biggest mistake ~ of them could remember.
QUANT: QUANT of def-n-uncount/def-pl-n
•
Any is also a pronoun.
Clean the mussels and discard ~ that do not close.
PRON
4.
You can also use ~ to emphasize a comparative adjective or adverb in a negative statement.
I can’t see things getting ~ easier for graduates...
ADV: ADV compar emphasis
5.
If you say that someone or something is not just ~ person or thing, you mean that they are special in some way.
It’s fashionable for young people to wear trainers, but not just ~ trainers.
PHRASE: PHR n
6.
If something does not happen or is not true ~ more or ~ longer, it has stopped happening or is no longer true.
I don’t want to see her ~ more...
I couldn’t keep the tears hidden ~ longer.
PHRASE: PHR after v
7.
in ~ case: see case
by ~ chance: see chance
in ~ event: see event
not by ~ means: see means
~ old: see old
at ~ rate: see rate