might as well

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Verb

might as well

1. (idiomatic) Used to express reluctance, to express that if one hypothetical or possible action happened, it would not make any notable difference
   • 2006, L.A. Bank, The Forsaken

     Her words trapped him in the bedroom; he might as well have been hanging on the Chairman's torture wall getting his guts ripped out

   • 2004, Melvin Burgess, Doing It

     Oh, and while you're here would you like me to look at your fanny? And the girl, says, Yeah, sure, might as well, and off they go.

   • 1962, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, It Might as Well Rain Until September

     As far as I'm concerned each day's a rainy day
     So it might as well rain until September

   • 1903, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

     "If she makes as much work after she comes as she has before, we might as well give up hope of ever gettin' any rest," sighed Miranda as she hung the dish towels on the barberry bushes at the side door.

   • 1898, Alfred Russel Wallace, Vaccination a Delusion

     Mr. A. Wheeler, and Mr. William Tebb, who, though all were examined and cross-examined on the minutest details, might as well never have appeared so far as any notice in the Final Report is concerned.

Synonyms

• may as well

Translations

Translations

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Swedish: lika gärna kunna