Way — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective adverb /ˈwā/

Meaning & Definition of Way

Way (noun)

  1. a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place
  2. an opening for passage
  3. the course traveled from one place to another, route

Way (adjective)

  1. of, connected with, or constituting an intermediate point on a route

Way (adverb)

  1. by a long distance, to a considerable degree or extent, far
  2. by far, much
  3. very

Way (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a passage cleared for public vehicular travel

    "the town honored the local sports hero by naming after him a short way connecting two shopping centers"

    similar: arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway (British), drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpike
    related: causeway, autobahn, autoroute, autostrada, dual carriageway (chiefly British), interstate, motorway (chiefly British), superhighway, beltway, bypass, parkway, ring road (chiefly British), corniche, switchback, through street, high street (British), Main Street, backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street, alley, alleyway, circle, lane, laneway (British), mews (chiefly British), place, close (chiefly British), cul-de-sac, dead end, corridor, track, trail

  2. a usual manner of behaving or doing

    "she's set in her ways and is not about to change"

    similar: custom, fashion, habit, habitude, pattern, practice, ritual, second nature, trick, wont
    related: addiction, disposition, bent, inclination, proclivity, set, tendency, tenor, turn, bag, convention, form, mode, style, usage, use, deportment, manners, mores, drill, groove, jog trot, regime, regimen, rote, routine, rut, affectation, airs, pose, attribute, characteristic, mark, trait, eccentricity, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, tic

  3. an established course for traveling from one place to another

    "took the regular way to work"

    similar: approach, avenue, passage, path, route
    related: bypath, byway, lane, laneway (British), artery, boulevard, bypass, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, passageway, pike, road, roadway, routeway (chiefly British), row, street, thoroughfare, turnpike, walk, walkway, trace, track, trail, airway, bikeway, cycleway (British), channel, gat, watercourse, waterway, door, doorway, gate, gateway, hatch, portal

  4. an established pattern of behavior

    "that's just his way, so pay him no mind"

    similar: aptness, proneness, propensity, tendency
    related: affinity, aptitude, bent, disposition, inclination, leaning, mind-set, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, turn, custom, habit, pattern, practice, routine, wont, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, trick
    near: averseness, disinclination, dislike, indisposition

  5. an extent or area available for or used up by some activity or thing

    "made way for them to pass"

    similar: elbow room, place, room, space
    related: capacity, compass, range, scope, berth, clearance, freedom, latitude, leeway, play

  6. the direction along which something or someone moves

    "go the same way that the school bus does"

    similar: course, line, path, pathway, route, routeway (chiefly British), steps, track
    related: circle, circuit, loop, orbit, arc, flight path, trajectory, ascent, descent

  7. the means or procedure for doing something

    "figured out the best way to accomplish the task"

    similar: approach, fashion, form, how, manner, method, methodology, recipe, strategy, style, system, tack, tactics, technique
    related: mode, modus operandi, blueprint, design, game, game plan, ground plan, intrigue, layout, line, model, plan, plot, program, route, scheme, expedient, move, shift, step, practice, process, routine, policy

  8. the opening through which one can enter or leave a structure

    "we came in the back way"

    similar: door, doorway, entrance, gate, gateway
    related: hatch, hatchway

  9. the power, right, or opportunity to choose

    "have it your way"

    similar: alternative, choice, discretion, druthers (dialect), election, liberty, option, pick, preference, selection, volition
    related: determination, free will, will, say, voice, vote, inclination, liking, partiality, penchant, predilection, proclivity, propensity, tendency, discernment, judgment, perspicacity
    near: coercion, duress, force, duty, obligation, Hobson's choice

  10. the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects

    "it's just a little way down the road"

    similar: distance, lead, length, remove, spacing, spread, stretch
    related: altitude, area, breadth, depth, height, rise, space, volume, width, extension, extent, cast, range, reach, scope, shot, sweep, throw, drop, fall, flight, haul, berth, clearance

Way (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to a great degree

    "Oh, I'm just way thrilled to be here! the pageant contestant gushed"

    similar: achingly, almighty, archly, awful, awfully, badly, beastly, blisteringly, bone, colossally, corking, cracking, damn, damned, dang, deadly, desperately, eminently, enormously, especially, ever, exceedingly, extra, extremely, fabulously, fantastically, far, fiercely, filthy, frightfully, full, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, intensely, jolly, majorly, mightily, mighty, monstrous (chiefly dialect), mortally, most, much, particularly, passing, rattling, real, really, right, roaring, roaringly, seriously, severely, so, sore, sorely, spanking, specially, stinking, such, super, supremely, surpassingly, terribly, that, thumping, too, unco, uncommonly, vastly, very, vitally, whacking, wicked, wildly, a lot, as all get-out, good and
    related: absolutely, altogether, completely, downright, entirely, flat-out, fully, positively, purely, radically, thoroughly, totally, utterly, wholly, deeply, profoundly, exceptionally, notably, remarkably, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially, appreciably, discernibly, markedly, noticeably, obviously, palpably, plainly, visibly, abundantly, plentifully, astronomically, grandly, monstrously, monumentally, excessively, obscenely, overmuch, amazingly, astonishingly, staggeringly
    opposite: little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat
    near: meagerly, scantily, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely

Related Entry: Under way (adverb)

Under way is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for under way, not for way.

  1. in progress

    "construction of the new shopping mall is under way"

    similar: afoot, under weigh
    near: deferred, delayed, postponed, suspended

Related Entry: Way-out (adjective)

Way-out is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for way-out, not for way.

  1. different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

    "some new and way-out suggestions for naming the baby"

    similar: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, off-kilter, off-the-wall, offbeat, out-of-the-way, outlandish, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum (chiefly British), screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, weird, weirdo, wild
    related: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky, extraordinary, fantastic, freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, phenomenal, atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
    near: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

Related Entry: Way station (noun)

Way station is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for way station, not for way.

  1. a regular stopping place

    "a way station for truck drivers"

    similar: station, stop
    related: depot, terminal, layover, stopover, outstation

Related Entry: Way stations (noun)

Way stations is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for way stations, not for way.

  1. a regular stopping place

    "a way station for truck drivers"

    similar: stations, stops
    related: depots, terminals, layovers, stopovers, outstations

Related Entry: Family way (noun)

Family way is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for family way, not for way.

  1. the state of containing unborn young within the body

    "noticing the telltale bump, we guessed that she was in the family way again"

    similar: gestation, gravidity, pregnancy
    related: conception, begetting, breeding, generation, procreation, siring, spawning
    near: barrenness, infertility

Related Entry: Harm's way (noun)

Harm's way is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for harm's way, not for way.

  1. the state of not being protected from injury, harm, or evil

    "got everyone out of harm's way just minutes before the house was ripped apart by the tornado"

    similar: danger, distress, endangerment, imperilment, jeopardy, peril, risk, trouble
    related: exposure, liability, openness, vulnerability, precariousness, threat, susceptibility, susceptibleness, defenselessness, helplessness, weakness
    opposite: safeness, safety, secureness, security
    near: preservation, salvation, defense, protection, exemption, immunity, impunity, inviolability, invulnerability

Related Entry: Out-of-the-way (adjective)

Out-of-the-way is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for out-of-the-way, not for way.

  1. different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion

    "the night watchman calls the police if he notices any out-of-the-way activity taking place during his shift"

    similar: bizarre, bizarro, cranky, crazy, curious, eccentric, erratic, far-out, funky, funny, kinky, kooky, odd, off-kilter, off-the-wall, offbeat, outlandish, outré, peculiar, quaint, queer, queerish, quirky, remarkable, rum (chiefly British), screwy, spaced-out, strange, wacky, way-out, weird, weirdo, wild
    related: aberrant, abnormal, addlepated, flaky, extraordinary, fantastic, freak, freakish, freaky, phantasmagoric, phenomenal, atypical, rare, singular, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, unwonted, conspicuous, notable, noticeable, outstanding, prominent, salient, striking, atrocious, outrageous, shocking, crotchety, idiosyncratic, nonconformist, nonmainstream, out-there, unconventional, unorthodox, baffling, bewildering, confounding, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling
    near: average, commonplace, everyday, garden, normal, ordinary, prosaic, routine, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, unexceptional, unremarkable, usual, workaday, conformist, conservative, conventional, expected, familiar, knee-jerk, predictable, common, customary, frequent, habitual, regular, wonted

  2. noticeably different from what is generally found or experienced

    "there was nothing out-of-the-way about the hitchhiker's appearance that might arouse suspicion"

    similar: curious, extraordinary, funny, odd, offbeat, peculiar, queer, rare, singular, strange, unaccustomed, uncommon, uncustomary, unique, unusual, weird
    related: bizarre, eccentric, far-out, kooky, oddball, outlandish, outré, way-out, aberrant, abnormal, atypical, exceptional, irregular, newsworthy, notable, noteworthy, noticeable, particular, remarkable, special
    opposite: common, ordinary, plain, usual
    near: unexceptional, expected, predictable, familiar, normal, regular, typical

Related Entry: Right-of-way (noun)

Right-of-way is a different word from Way. The synonyms below are for right-of-way, not for way.

  1. the right to one's attention before other things considered less important

    "the bill for emergency aid was immediately granted right-of-way"

    similar: precedence, priority
    related: preference, urgency, ascendancy, preeminence, primacy, supremacy, transcendence, transcendency, order, progression, sequence, succession, front burner

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Way

The most common words with a similar meaning to Way:

British: carriageway
Chiefly British: routeway
Dialect: druthers
Chiefly dialect: monstrous
arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, route, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpike, custom, fashion, habit, habitude, pattern, practice, ritual, second nature, trick, wont, approach, passage, path, aptness, proneness, propensity, tendency, elbow room, place

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Way

Words with the opposite meaning of Way:

little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, somewhat

Related Words for Way

causeway, autobahn, autoroute, autostrada, dual carriageway, interstate, motorway, superhighway, beltway, bypass, parkway, ring road, corniche, switchback, through street, high street, Main Street, backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, secondary road, shunpike, side road, side street, alley, alleyway, circle, lane

Near Antonyms of Way

averseness, disinclination, dislike, indisposition, coercion, duress, force, duty, obligation, Hobson's choice, meagerly, scantily, barely, hardly, just, marginally, minimally, scarcely

Phrases & Idioms with Way

  • the way — in view of the manner in which

Origin & Etymology of Way

Middle English, from Old English weg; akin to Old High German weg way, Old English wegan to move, Latin vehere to carry, via way

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Way

Words & Phrases Containing Way

Way of the Cross, way-out, way station, way of life, way to go, all the way, American way

Frequently Asked Questions about Way

What does "Way" mean?

"Way" means a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place. As an a noun, an adjective and an adverb, it is defined as: a thoroughfare for travel or transportation from place to place. It has 11 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Way"?

Other words for "Way" include arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway, drag, drive and expressway. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Way" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Way"?

There are 372 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Way". Common alternatives include arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway, drag, drive, expressway, freeway and high road.

What is the opposite of "Way"?

Antonyms of "Way" include little, negligibly, nominally, slightly and somewhat. Near antonyms include averseness, disinclination, dislike and indisposition.

How do you use "Way" in a sentence?

Examples of "Way" in a sentence: "the town honored the local sports hero by naming after him a short way connecting two shopping centers"; "she's set in her ways and is not about to change"; "took the regular way to work".

Is "Way" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Way" can be used as a noun, an adjective and an adverb, depending on the context.

Is "Way" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Way" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Way"?

"Way" is pronounced /ˈwā/.