can
modal verb
to have the necessary ability, knowledge, money, or equipment to do something
Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word
modal verb
used for saying that you see, hear, feel, taste, smell, understand, or remember something
modal verb
used for saying whether the situation makes it possible for you to do something at a particular time
modal verb
used with verbs such as ‘say’, ‘imagine’, or ‘believe’ when you are telling someone about a situation and you want to emphasize how strongly you feel about it
modal verb
used for saying what someone will have to do, when you are annoyed with them or do not approve of them
modal verb
used for saying that there is a possibility that something is true or that something will happen
modal verb
if someone said in the past that you might do something, they gave you permission to do it
modal verb
used for saying that someone did something in order to achieve a particular purpose
modal verb
used for saying that you think something is probably true because nothing else seems possible
modal verb
used for saying what is the right or sensible thing to do, or the right way to behave
modal verb
used for saying what you intend to do in the future or what situation you expect to be in
modal verb
used for saying or asking about the right or sensible thing to do or the right way to behave
modal verb
used for saying what is correct, especially when the situation is different from this
modal verb
used after ‘if’ or instead of ‘if’ for describing a situation that may possibly happen
modal verb
used for describing a fact or event that someone has a particular feeling or opinion about
modal verb
used for saying what you would do or how you would feel in a situation that you imagine
modal verb
used about a situation in the past when you said or knew what you would do or what would happen
modal verb
used for saying what was true or what happened regularly in the past, especially when you want to emphasize that this is not true or does not happen now
modal verb
used for saying that someone has a habit of doing something, especially when you do not approve of what they are doing
modal verb
used for showing what someone expected, intended, promised etc when they were thinking or talking about the future
modal verb
used for talking about something that was going to happen after a particular point in the past
modal verb
used for talking about the possible results of a situation that is unlikely to happen or that did not happen
modal verb
used for saying that someone was always willing to do something at a time in the past
used for saying that perhaps something was true, although you do not really know
used for saying that something was possible in the past, even though it did not happen
used for saying that you want something to happen or you want a situation to change
used for saying that although something is perhaps true, this does not change the main fact that you are stating
used when something was possible but did not in fact happen
used when you realize that someone did not do the right thing in the past
used for saying what was the right thing to do when you realize that someone did not do it
used when you imagine what the situation would perhaps have been if something had not happened, although it did in fact happen
used for saying that you could not make something do what it was meant to although you tried
used for saying that you wish that something were true, especially when you know that it is impossible
used for emphasizing how good, impressive, or unusual something or someone is
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using the Internet where you work, during working hours, for activities which are not work-related
BuzzWord Articlea substance that scientists think exists out in space, but for which they have no direct proof
Open Dictionary
… to reveal a small part of your intentions in order to attract support, without actually committing yourself to doing anything
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