at any rate
27
3.7
- idiom
:
en cualquier caso
- At any rate, I thought you should hear from me.
So we'll see, but at any rate nothing will happen.
- So we'll see, but at any rate nothing will happen.
- So at any rate, is this app dangerous?
- But but at any rate, back to the Bob thing.
- We may not know what it is, but at any rate we know what would we would need to know in order to know that.
- So at any rate, a guy needs no introduction.
- I'm sure you'll enjoy it more than I did at any rate.
- Why did it not work politically, at any rate?
- I won't go into the story, but at any rate, this world is not conclusion.
- My uncle was very big jazz person and started introducing me to jazz artists records at any rate.
- My final thought was this quote, at any rate, for Julia.
Examples
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At any rate, he's the only one of us who hasn't been subpoenaed, so he must have done something right.
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One thing is certain at any rate: It'll be settled this afternoon down in Maryland.
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So we'll see, but at any rate nothing will happen.
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So at any rate, is this app dangerous?
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Well, at any rate, come hang out with us for a bit.
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- Well, at any rate, I shall never go there again.
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At any rate, they were married last week in Plymouth.
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At any rate, I'd like to keep you here for at least one more day.
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At any rate, we shall know presently.
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At any rate, we should focus on what we can control during this meeting.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To return to the main topic or add a new point after a pause
63
2.1
To say something that adds to or explains something said before
56
3.9
Whatever else happens, the fact remains true or will still happen
51
2.8
No matter what, this is true or will happen
22
8.0
To return to or change the topic and show the earlier point does not matter
1
3.5
In any case, whatever happens
Surface Forms
Morphology
at + any + rate
The sense 'in any case' / 'anyway' is not compositionally derived from the literal meanings of 'at' + 'any' + 'rate' because 'rate' does not normally contribute a meaning of 'case' or 'situation' in English. This is an idiomatic connective whose function and pragmatic use (to clarify or shift topic) is learned from exposure rather than predictable from the constituent words, so it would likely be opaque to a B1 learner.
Etymology
At any rate may come from an older use of the word rate that meant 'way' or 'manner'. So it meant 'in any way', and that's why today we use it to mean 'in any case' or to make something clear.