English Phrase of the Day

or else

Definitions

English > English
or else
1. Phrase. otherwise or as an alternative
Go now, or else you'll have to stay all night.
2. Phrase. no matter what (implies an unspecified threat)
Clean up your room, or else!
Analysis
or
1. conj. Connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc. each of which could make a passage true. In English, this is the "inclusive or." The "exclusive or" is formed by "either(...)
In Ohio, anyone under the age of 18 who wants a tattoo or body piercing needs the consent of a parent or guardian.
He might get cancer, or be hit by a bus, or God knows what.
2. conj. (logic) An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or.
3. conj. Counts the elements before and after as two possibilities.
else
1. adj. (postpositive, used only with indefinite or interrogative pronouns) Other; in addition to previously mentioned items.
The instructor is busy. Can anyone else help me?
2. adv. (follows interrogative adverbs) Otherwise, if not.
How else (=in what other way) can it be done?
I'm busy Friday; when else (=what other time) works for you?

Example Sentences

I have to do it every day or else.

Lucky I know you guys are full of it, or else we wouldn't be flatmates.

Now I patched it back together, but sometime you're going to have to junk it, or else get such a drastic overhaul it won't really be the same car.

From this alone, one might surmise that growing your own pot can't be too demanding, or else devotees would never get round to it, but in fact the process is far from simple.

Review previous phrases

damn it	in a row	point out	first of all
have got	plug in	in time	here and there
about to	have to	spare time	in any case
spread out	service station	dried up	hands off

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