You use else after words such as 'anywhere', 'someone', and 'what', to refer in a vague way to another person, place, or thing.
If I can't make a living at painting, at least I can teach someone else to paint.
We had nothing else to do on those long trips.
What else have you had for your birthday?
There's not much else I can say.
Else is also an adverb.
I never wanted to live anywhere else.
2. adjective
You use else after words such as 'everyone', 'everything', and 'everywhere' to refer in a vague way to all the other people, things, or places except the oneyou are talking about.
As I try to be truthful, I expect everyone else to be truthful.
Batteries are in short supply, like everything else here.
Else is also an adverb.
London seems so much dirtier than everywhere else.
3. phrase
You use or else after stating a logical conclusion, to indicate that what you are about to say is evidence for that conclusion.
He must be a good plumber, or else he wouldn't be so busy.
Clearly no lessons have been learnt or else the problem would have been solved.
4. phrase
You use or else to introduce a statement that indicates the unpleasant results that will occur if someone does or does not do something.
This time we really need to succeed or else people will start giving us funny looks.
Make sure you are strapped in very well, or else you will fall out.
5. phrase
You use or else to introduce the second of two possibilities when you do not know which one is true.
You are either a total genius or else you must be absolutely raving mad.
It's likely someone gave her a lift, or else that she took a taxi.
6.
See above all else
7.
See if nothing else
8.
See or else
else in British English
(ɛls)
determiner(postpositive; used after an indefinite pronoun or an interrogative)
1.
in addition; more
there is nobody else here
2.
other; different
where else could he be?
adverb
3. or else
Word origin
Old English elles, genitive of el- strange, foreign; related to Old High German eli- other, Gothic alja, Latin alius, Greek allos
else in American English
(ɛls)
adjective
1.
different; other
somebody else
2.
in addition; more
is there anything else?
adverb
3.
in a different or additional time, place, or manner; differently; otherwise
where else can I go?
4.
if not
study, (or) else you will fail
Word origin
ME & OE elles, adv. gen. of n. base el-, other (as in OE el-land, foreign land), akin to Goth aljis, OHG elles, of same formation < IE base *al-, that, yonder one > L alius, another, alienus, belonging to another, Gr allos, other
Examples of 'else' in a sentence
else
The threat to his players appeared more internal than anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We are no more exposed to currency fluctuations than anyone else in the sector.
The Sun (2016)
They grow on little bits of wasteland in cities as much as anywhere else.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can always incentivise them to buy something else with the money they make.
The Sun (2016)
The mainstream media did more to grow our reach than anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Keep it to being about the two of you rather than anyone else.
The Sun (2016)
Nobody else wants to do it.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Nobody else is working, why should columnists?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The manager said he cannot complain about anyone else's performances until he gets his own game right.
The Sun (2016)
Aside from the picture in the archive, little else is known about him and his time at war.
Smithsonian Mag (2017)
They have not got much else to complain about.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We cannot seem to get people to talk about anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There was nobody else in the room at the time.
The Sun (2012)
This can be used when all else fails.
Petch, Dr Michael BMA Family Doctor Guide - Heart Disease (1989)
You enjoy a lively exchange of ideas as much as anybody else.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Our railway network is either overcrowded or else simply neglected.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
With a mobile you can talk while doing something else.
The Sun (2007)
To say anything else would be negative.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Primary schools may be better off without primary colours but nobody else is.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Above all else you should use it to avoid another split.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Say no way and refuse to get together with anyone else.
The Sun (2010)
They would demand too much time and effort at the expense of so much else.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It was only watched by drunks so no one else could either.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
That drives you on to do something else.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
It seemed more to do with the zeitgeist than anything else.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Nobody else would want to get into a car that looks like this.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He is like anyone else taking the sea air.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There was something else about him.
Grenville, J. A. S. The Collins History of the World in the 20th Century (1994)
Everyone else uses a smaller stroke.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He wants to do something else after 16 years in broadcasting.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Don't expect anyone else to look after you and your information.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
else
British English: else /ɛls/ ADVERB
You use else after words such as `someone' and `everyone', and after question words like `what', to talk about another person, place, or thing.
She is much taller than everyone else.
American English: else
Arabic: آخَر
Brazilian Portuguese: em vez de
Chinese: 另外
Croatian: ostali
Czech: jiný
Danish: anden
Dutch: anders in andere omstandigheden
European Spanish: más
Finnish: muu
French: autrement
German: anderer
Greek: αλλιώς
Italian: altrimenti
Japanese: そのほかに
Korean: 그 밖에
Norwegian: ellers
Polish: inaczej
European Portuguese: mais
Romanian: oricine altcineva
Russian: еще
Latin American Spanish: más
Swedish: annars
Thai: อื่นๆ
Turkish: daha başka
Ukrainian: ще
Vietnamese: khác
All related terms of 'else'
or else
You say ' or else ' after a command to warn someone that if they do not obey , you will be angry and may harm or punish them.
something else
a remarkable person or thing
above all else
Above all else is used to emphasize that a particular thing is more important than other things.
if nothing else
You can say ' if nothing else ' to indicate that what you are mentioning is, in your opinion , the only good thing in a particular situation .
if all else fails
You say if all else fails to suggest what could be done in a certain situation if all the other things you have tried are unsuccessful .
Chinese translation of 'else'
else
(ɛls)
adv
or else (= otherwise) 否则(則) (fǒuzé) (threatening) 要不然 (yàobùrán)
⇒ Don't talk to me like that again, or else!别这么跟我说话 ，要不够你受的！ (Bié zhème gēn wǒ shuōhuà, yàobù gòu nǐ shòu de!)
something else其他东(東)西 (qítā dōngxi)
anything else任何其他东(東)西 (rènhé qítā dōngxi)
where else?别(別)的什么(麼)地方？ (biéde shénme dìfang?)
what else?其他什么(麼)？ (qítā shénme?)
somewhere else其他地方 (qítā dìfang)
everywhere else其他任何地方 (qítā rènhé dìfang)
everyone else其他人 (qítā rén)
nobody else没(沒)有其他人 (méiyǒu qítā rén)
little else其他什么(麼)都没(沒)有 (qítá shénme dōu méiyǒu)
if nothing else起码(碼) (qǐmǎ)
All related terms of 'else'
or else
( otherwise ) 否则(則) fǒuzé
little else
其他什么(麼)都没(沒)有 qítá shénme dōu méiyǒu
nobody else
没(沒)有其他人 méiyǒu qítā rén
what else?
其他什么(麼)？ qítā shénme?
where else?
别(別)的什么(麼)地方？ biéde shénme dìfang?
anything else
任何其他东(東)西 rènhé qítā dōngxi
everybody else
其他所有人 qítā suǒyǒurén
everyone else
其他人 qítā rén
nothing else
没(沒)有别(別)的 méiyǒu bié de
nowhere else
( no place else ) 没(沒)有其他地方 méiyǒu qítā dìfang
someone else
别(別)人 biérén
something else
其他事情 qítā shìqing
somewhere else
别(別)的地方 bié de dìfang
everywhere else
其他任何地方 qítā rènhé dìfang
if nothing else
起码(碼) qǐmǎ
or
( linking alternatives ) 还(還)是 háishì ⇒ Would you like tea or coffee? → 你要茶还是咖啡？ Nǐ yào chá háishì kāfēi?
to replace sth with sth else
用某物代替某物 yòng mǒuwù dàitì mǒuwù
the job is to go to someone else
这(這)份工作将(將)归(歸)别(別)人所得 zhè fèn gōngzuò jiāng guī biérén suǒ dé