Way

Way is a noun and adverb.

Way as a noun

As a noun the most common meanings of way are ‘method or style’, ‘route, direction, road’ and ‘distance’:

• I make cheese sauce a different way from my mother.
• The hospital is on Sandford Road. Do you know the way?
• Which way shall we go?
• It’s a long way from here on foot. You can take a bus.

We can use a to-infinitive or an -ing form after way when it means ‘method’:

• There’s an easier way to do that. (or There’s an easier way of doing that.)

Way as an adverb

We can use way informally as a degree adverb to mean ‘a lot’:

• The project is way behind schedule.
• She had way more chances than me.

In the way, on the way

We use in the way for things that are obstructing a path or stopping us from getting somewhere:

• Can you move, please? You’re in the way.
• Shall I move these? Are they in your way?

We use on the way to mean in the middle of the journey:

• A: Where are you?
• B: I’m on my way. I’ll be there in 20 minutes or so.
• They’re on their way. They had to stop for some petrol.

You will find other meanings of way and expressions with way in a good learner’s dictionary.

See also

• In the way, on the way