You may act however you wish.
Source: tatoeba (17189)
However
/haʊˈɛvə/
Synonyms for "however" (71 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Strong matches (21)
Related words (35)
in any eventin any wayin what wayirregardlessjust the sameneverthelessno matter howno matter whatnohownonethelessnotwithstandingonon the other handonlyper contraratherregardlesssavestillthough
Conjunction(1 words)
Adverb(7 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: nevertheless, nonetheless, still, yet, after all.
- Sentence evidence is available for however, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "however".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "however"
Keep "however" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "however" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "however", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "however" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
9 entriesadverb of degreeadverb of mannerconjunctionconjunctive adverbdiscourse adverbdiscourse markerinterjectionquantifier adverbtransition cue
More specific
14 entriesanyhowconcessive adverbconcessive markercontrastive adverbcontrastive markerdiscourse markerneverthelessnonethelesstopic shift cuetransition cuetransition markerwhatever amountwhatever quantitywhatever way
Collocations
15 entriesclause linkerconcessive adverbconjunctive adverbcontrast markercontrastive conjunctiondiscourse markerhowever briefhowever longhowever muchhowever oftenhowever slighthowever wellsentence adverbsentence boundarytransition marker
Translations
22 translations across 11 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- все пак adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Esperanto
1 entries- kiom ajn adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Finnish
2 entries- kuinka tahansa adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- miten tahansa adv (to whatever extent or degree)
French
1 entries- peu importe adv (to whatever extent or degree)
German
1 entries- egal wie adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Hungarian
4 entries- akármennyire adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- akármilyen adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- bármennyire adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- bármilyen adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Irish
1 entries- dá adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Macedonian
1 entries- сепак adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Norwegian Bokmål
2 entries- uansett hvor adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- uten omsyn til hvor adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Spanish
4 entries- así como así adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- como sea adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- comoquier adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- comoquiera adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Welsh
2 entries- er mor adv (to whatever extent or degree)
- pa mor adv (to whatever extent or degree)
Sample sentences
32 total sentences available.
However fast you may walk, you can't catch up with him.
Source: tatoeba (17972)
Air travel is fast; sea travel is, however, restful.
Source: tatoeba (18297)
However, it is good if one can speak English well.
Source: tatoeba (26392)
Showing 4 of 32 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "however"?
Closest matches include nevertheless, nonetheless, still, yet, after all.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "however"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.