/ weɪ; NAmE / noun , adverb
■ noun
METHOD / STYLE
1.
[ C ] way (to do sth) | way (of doing sth) a method, style or manner of doing sth :
That's not the right way to hold a pair of scissors.
I'm not happy with this way of working.
I hate the way she always criticizes me.
I told you we should have done it my way !
Infectious diseases can be acquired in several ways.
I generally get what I want one way or another (= by some means) .
( informal , disapproving )
That's no way to speak to your mother!
It's not what you say, it's the way that you say it.
—see also third way
BEHAVIOUR
2.
[ C ] a particular manner or style of behaviour :
They grinned at her in a friendly way .
It was not his way to admit that he had made a mistake.
Don't worry, if she seems quiet— it's just her way .
He was showing off, as is the way with adolescent boys.
3.
ways [ pl. ] the typical way of behaving and living of a particular group of people :
After ten years I'm used to the strange British ways.
ROUTE / ROAD
4.
[ C , usually sing. ] way (from ... ) (to ... ) a route or road that you take in order to reach a place :
the best / quickest / shortest way from A to B
Can you tell me the way to Leicester Square?
to ask sb the way
We went the long way round .
5.
[ C , usually sing. ] the route along which sb/sth is moving; the route that sb/sth would take if there was nothing stopping them / it :
Get out of my way! I'm in a hurry.
Riot police with shields were blocking the demonstrators' way.
We fought our way through the dense vegetation.
Unfortunately they ran into a snowstorm along the way.
—see also right of way
6.
[ C ] a road, path or street for travelling along :
There's a way across the fields.
—see also freeway , highway , motorway , railway , waterway
7.
Way used in the names of streets :
106 Headley Way
DIRECTION
8.
[ C , usually sing. ] which, this, that, etc. ~ a particular direction; in a particular direction :
Which way did they go?
We just missed a car coming the other way .
Look both ways (= look left and right) before crossing the road.
Make sure that sign's the right way up .
Kids were running this way and that (= in all directions) .
They decided to split the money four ways (= between four different people) .
( figurative )
Which way (= for which party) are you going to vote?
—see also each way , one-way , three-way , two-way
FOR ENTERING / LEAVING
9.
[ C , usually sing. ] a means of going into or leaving a place, such as a door or gate :
the way in / out
They escaped out the back way.
—see also companionway
DISTANCE / TIME
10.
[ sing. ] (also NAmE informal ways ) a distance or period of time between two points :
A little way up on the left is the Museum of Modern Art.
September was a long way off .
( figurative )
The area's wine industry still has a way to go to full maturity.
You came all this way to see us?
( NAmE , informal )
We still have a ways to go .
AREA
11.
[ sing. ] ( informal ) an area, a part of a country, etc. :
I think he lives somewhere over London way .
I'll stop by and see you next time I'm down your way .
ASPECT
12.
[ C ] a particular aspect of sth
SYN respect :
I have changed in every way.
It's been quite a day, one way and another (= for several reasons) .
CONDITION / STATE
13.
[ sing. ] a particular condition or state :
The economy's in a bad way .
I don't know how we're going to manage, the way things are .
•
IDIOMS
- across the way
- all the way
- (that's / it's) always the way
- any way you slice it
- be / be born / be made that way
- be set in your ways
- by the way
- by way of sth
- by way of / in the way of sth
- come your way
- cut both / two ways
- either way | one way or the other
- every which way
- get into / out of the way of (doing) sth
- get in the way of
- get / have your own way
- give way
- give way (to sb/sth)
- give way to sth
- go all the way (with sb)
- go a long / some way towards doing sth
- go out of your way (to do sth)
- go your own way
- go sb's way
- go the way of all flesh
- have it your own way!
- have it / things / everything your own way
- have a way of doing sth
- have a way with sb/sth
- have / want it both ways
- have your (wicked) way with sb
- in a big / small way
- in more ways than one
- in her, his, its, etc. (own) way
- in a way | in one way | in some ways
- in the / sb's way
- in the way of sth
- keep / stay out of sb's way
- look the other way
- lose your way
- make your way (to / towards sth)
- make way (for sb/sth)
- my way or the highway
- (there are) no two ways about it
- (there is) no way
- on your / the / its way
- the other way round
- out of the way
—see also out-of-the-way
- out of your way
- see your way (clear) to doing sth / to do sth
- see which way the wind is blowing
- (not) stand in sb's way
- that's the way the cookie crumbles
- there's more than one way to skin a cat
- to my way of thinking
- under way
- a / the / sb's way of life
- the way of the world
- ways and means
- a way into sth
- the way to sb's heart
- way to go!
- work your way through college, round the world, etc.
- work your way through sth
- work your way up
—more at change verb , claw verb , clear verb , downhill , easy adjective , error , family noun , far adverb , feel verb , find verb , hard adjective , harm noun , head noun , know verb , laugh verb , lie verb , long adjective , mend verb , middle adjective , open verb , ordinary , parting noun , pave , pay verb , pick verb , rub verb , separate adjective , shape noun , show verb , smooth verb , sweet adjective , swing verb , talk verb , well adverb , will noun , wrong adjective
■ adverb
(used with a preposition or an adverb) very far; by a large amount :
She finished the race way ahead of the other runners.
I must be going home; it's way past my bedtime.
The price is way above what we can afford.
They live way out in the suburbs.
This skirt is way (= a lot) too short.
I guessed that there would be a hundred people there, but I was way out (= wrong by a large amount).
•
IDIOMS
- way back (in ... )
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English weg , of Germanic origin ; related to Dutch weg and German Weg , from a base meaning move, carry .