by all means
94
3.2
- idiom
:
por supuesto
- If there's anyone out there who wants to try this and make it work, by all means be my guest.
- by all means, try
- by all means, let
- then by all means
So if you're in a situation like that, by all means pursue diversity.
- So if you're in a situation like that, by all means pursue diversity.
- And if they want to live in their haze, then by all means, you do you.
- So if you're good with that, by all means go for it.
- But by all means, whatever anyone finds that works for them is great.
- If there's anyone out there who wants to try this and make it work, by all means be my guest.
- So again, if it comes down to soda or diet soda, by all means, let's do the diet soda.
- No, by all means, do what you think is best for you and for your children.
- So by all means test, you know, test and find out what works for you.
- So by all means, feel free just to watch and kind of see how this progresses for me.
- And so if when I say work hard, long and smart, that doesn't feel right to you and you don't want to do that, by all means, don't do that.
Examples
-
Well, then, by all means go!
-
But by all means, whatever anyone finds that works for them is great.
-
No, by all means, do what you think is best for you and for your children.
-
Then by all means, please do.
-
So by all means, do just that.
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And when the door opens, by all means walk through that door.
-
Now, if you feel I'm wrong, by all means go out and prove me wrong.
-
If you believe you have what it takes, then, by all means, join the administrative ranks.
Academic text (2017) -
By all means, enlighten us.
-
If you want to try that recipe, by all means, go ahead and see how it turns out.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To show something is obvious and to say yes or give permission
∞
1.0
Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt
∞
1.0
Completely and without any doubt
Antonyms
How Permissive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal parts ('by' + 'all' + 'means') can be interpreted as 'by any method' or 'in any case,' which gives a plausible route to the sense of strong permission or affirmation. However, the phrase is conventionalized in its pragmatic use (giving permission or emphatic agreement) and learners may not reliably predict its function and register from the constituents alone, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
By all means comes from the simple image of doing something by every available means; imagine someone saying 'use every road or tool' to be sure you succeed. So the phrase came to mean 'certainly' or to give 'permission', like saying 'of course, go ahead'.