v
Contraction of would, contraction of should. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
(modal, auxiliary verb, colloquial) Had best.
v
(modal, auxiliary verb) Contraction of had better. [(idiomatic, with bare infinitive, informal) Should; ought to; need to; must.]
v
will, shall (marking the future tense)
v
(dialectal) Nonstandard spelling of would. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
Alternative form of 'll [will, shall (marking the future tense)]
adv
Used to indicate that a word or statement is perhaps not exact though practically right; as if it were so.
v
(modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
adv
(idiomatic) It is likely that, it is probable that
v
Obsolete spelling of could [simple past tense of can]
v
Obsolete spelling of could [simple past tense of can]
v
Misconstruction of could have or could've.
v
Contraction of could have.
v
Alternative form of could have sworn [(informal) Is very sure about; especially when the thing in question is apparently not the case or could be doubted.]
v
Obsolete form of could. [simple past tense of can]
v
Contraction of do. (only before "you" or "ye") [(auxiliary) A syntactic marker in a question whose main verb is not another auxiliary verb or be.]
v
(auxiliary) A syntactic marker in negations with the indicative and imperative moods.
n
(idiomatic) By extension, an event that is somewhat likely to happen, but far from inevitable.
adv
(proscribed, non-native speakers' English) Possibly, potentially, perhaps
v
(auxiliary, now rare) As past subjunctive: would have.
v
(modal, auxiliary verb) Had better.
v
(idiomatic, with bare infinitive, informal) Should; ought to; need to; must.
v
(with be) Must (logical conclusion).
adv
(idiomatic) Used to suggest or state tentatively that something may be the case (often the opposite of something previously implied).
adv
(formal) Used to soften a statement or question that is expected to annoy the listener.
n
Alternative form of ifs and buts used especially in negative constructions.
v
(now colloquial) Used in phrases with existential there when the semantic subject is a third-person plural.
adv
Used to convey a less serious or formal tone
adv
(idiomatic) To provide for the possible event that; as in case but with the possibility of the occurrence being more remote.
adv
Variant of like to or would have liked to.
adv
(UK, dialect, obsolete) It may happen that; maybe, perhaps.
v
(obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can.
v
(idiomatic) Used to express reluctance, to express that if one hypothetical or possible action happened, it would not make any notable difference
n
(informal) Something that is possibly true.
v
Obsolete spelling of may [(obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over).]
adv
(archaic, rare) maybe, perhaps, possibly, perchance:
adv
(obsolete or dialect) maybe, perhaps.
adv
(nonstandard, dialect) maybe
v
(UK, dialect) May; might.
v
(idiomatic) Used to express somewhat reluctant assent, saying that if one situation exists (or because it does exist), another event or situation that would otherwise be undesirable, difficult, impossible, etc., becomes more feasible or reasonable, or would not make a difference.
v
(double modal / stacked modal, used in some dialects, chiefly Southern US) might be able to; be potentially able to
v
(double modal / stacked modal, used in some dialects, chiefly Southern US) might be able to (used to soften "could" or make it even more conditional)
v
(double modal / stacked modal, used in some dialects, chiefly Southern US) should perhaps (used to soften "should" and make it less of a command)
v
used to express the possibility of something occurring in the past as condition to another non-occurring past event
v
(colloquial) Pronunciation spelling of might've, might have. [used to express the possibility of something occurring in the past as condition to another non-occurring past event]
v
Obsolete spelling of might [(auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.]
v
(nonstandard, pseudo-archaic, hypercorrect) (archaic) third-person singular simple present form of may.
adv
(idiomatic, colloquial, chiefly UK) Used to introduce a qualification or contrastive statement, especially when toning down or rectifying
v
(obsolete outside dialects) Alternative form of might [(auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.]
v
Pronunciation spelling of might corresponding to US regional dialect. [(auxiliary) Used to indicate conditional or possible actions.]
v
(dialect, Northern English, modal auxiliary, defective) Must.
v
(modal auxiliary, defective) To do with certainty; indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate.
v
Obsolete spelling of must [(modal auxiliary, defective) To do with certainty; indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate.]
adv
(understatement, litotes) Used to indicate the opposite or near opposite, often in a form of understatement.
adv
Hoping that (something is the case), even if it is unlikely.
v
(auxiliary) Indicating likelihood or probability.
v
(auxiliary) Indicating likelihood or probability.
v
Alternative form of oughtest
adv
(informal) Contraction of perhaps. [Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.]
adv
Contraction of perhaps. [Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.]
adv
Contraction of perhaps. [Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.]
adv
(obsolete) Perchance; perhaps.
adv
(usually in scholarly contexts) Abbreviation of perhaps. [Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.]
adv
(informal) Contraction of perhaps. [Modifies a verb, indicating a lack of certainty.]
adv
(Internet slang, leetspeak) Abbreviation of probably. [In all likelihood.]
v
Obsolete spelling of shall [Used before a verb to indicate the simple future tense in the first person singular or plural.]
adv
Synonym of shall we say
adv
(parenthesis) Used to make a statement less offensive.
v
Alternative form of shalst [(rare, often hypercorrect) Synonym of shalt]
v
(rare, often hypercorrect) Synonym of shalt
v
(text messaging) Abbreviation of should. [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Obsolete spelling of should [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Obsolete form of should. [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Obsolete form of shouldn’t.
v
(formal or literary outside certain combinations such as with 'imagine' or 'think') Used to impart a tentative, conjectural or polite nuance.
v
Eye dialect spelling of should have or should've.
v
Obsolete form of shouldst.
v
(colloquial) Contraction of should have.
v
Obsolete spelling of should [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Alternative form of shouldst
v
Obsolete spelling of should [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Obsolete spelling of should [Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').]
v
Used before a verb to indicate the passive voice.
v
(nonstandard, proscribed) Synonym of used to
v
Pronunciation spelling of would. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
adv
Used to introduce a speculation about a future event.
n
(informal) Speculation as to what might have happened if something else had happened earlier.
v
Obsolete spelling of will [(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.]
v
Obsolete spelling of will [(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.]
v
(nonstandard, archaic or archaicizing) (archaic) second-person singular simple present form of will (Alternative form of wilt)
v
(text messaging) Abbreviation of would. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
Obsolete form of will. [(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.]
v
Obsolete form of would. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
Suggesting conditionality or potentiality in order to express a sense of politeness, tentativeness, indirectness, hesitancy, uncertainty, etc.
v
used to express preference at a certain time, or hypothetically
v
Obsolete spelling of would [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
Archaic spelling of would; also, eye dialect spelling of would. [Used to form the "anterior future", or "future in the past", indicating a futurity relative to a past time.]
v
Pronunciation spelling of will. [(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.]
v
Obsolete spelling of will [(auxiliary) Used to express the future tense, sometimes with some implication of volition when used in the first person. Compare shall.]
adv
In negative imperative use, asking for an action to be delayed.
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