| why |  | |
| 1. adv. For what cause, reason, or purpose (interrogative adverb). | |
| 2. adv. Introducing a complete question. | |
| Why is the sky blue? | |
| Why did you do that? | |
| I don’t know why he did that | |
| Tell me why the moon changes phase. | |
| 3. adv. Introducing a verb phrase (bare infinitive clause). | |
| Why spend money on something you already get for free? | |
| Why not tell him how you feel? | |
| 4. adv. Introducing a noun or other phrase. | |
| Why him? Why not someone taller? | |
| 5. adv. For which cause, reason, or purpose (relative adverb). | |
| That's the reason why I did that. | |
| 6. n. reason | |
| A good article will cover the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and the how. | |
| 7. interj. An exclamation used to express indignation, mild surprise, or impatience. | |
| 8. n. (dialect) A young heifer. | |
