What's the difference between anything and ought?

Anything


Definition:

  • (n.) Any object, act, state, event, or fact whatever; thing of any kind; something or other; aught; as, I would not do it for anything.
  • (n.) Expressing an indefinite comparison; -- with as or like.
  • (adv.) In any measure; anywise; at all.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) At the moment we are, if anything, slightly lagging."
  • (2) I hope they fight for the money to make their jobs worth doing, because it's only with the money (a drop in the ocean though it may be) that they'll be able to do anything.
  • (3) I usually use them as a rag with which to clean the toilet but I didn’t have anything else to wear today because I’m so fat.” While this exchange will sound baffling to outsiders, to Brits it actually sounds like this: “You like my dress?
  • (4) Anything not eligible is simply ignored or assumed to be someone else’s responsibility.
  • (5) Other than failing to get a goal, I couldn’t ask for anything more.” From Lambert’s perspective there was an element of misfortune about the first and third goals, with Willian benefitting from handy ricochets on both occasions.
  • (6) In assessing damaged nets and curtains it must be recognised that anything less than the best vector control may have no appreciable impact on holoendemic malaria.
  • (7) While superheroes like “superman” (21st in SplashData’s 2014 rankings) and “batman” (24th) may be popular choices for passwords, the results if they are cracked could be anything other than super – and users will only have themselves to blame.
  • (8) There's a massive police station there, and they couldn't do anything.
  • (9) If we’re waiting around for the Democratic version to sail through here, or the Republican version to sail through here, all those victims who are waiting for us to do something will wait for days, months, years, forever and we won’t get anything done.” Senator Bill Nelson, whose home state of Florida is still reeling from the Orlando shooting, said he felt morally obligated to return to his constituents with results.
  • (10) You can get a five-month-old to eat almost anything,” says Clare Llewellyn, lecturer in behavioural obesity research at University College London.
  • (11) TalkTalk said customers should monitor their accounts over the coming months and report anything unusual to Action Fraud.
  • (12) This conception of the city as an expression of both regal power and social order, guided by cosmological principles and the pursuit of yin-yang equilibrium, was unlike anything in the western tradition.
  • (13) It may unsettle Exxon Mobil a little but they are pretty experienced now and I don’t think they would derail anything,” she said.
  • (14) Clarke varies the intensity of sessions but for most of the time it's go hard or go home: I've learned that neither more pain nor being sick are anything to be afraid of.
  • (15) 11.57pm BST "Can anyone remember anything, anything at all, from the debates four years ago?
  • (16) More than anything else, though, we need a clear and unambiguous commitment to end the housing crisis within a generation.
  • (17) And I was a little surprised because I said: ‘Doesn’t sound like he did anything wrong there.’ But he did something wrong with respect to the vice-president and I thought that was not acceptable.” So that’s clear.
  • (18) Indeed, with the pageantry already knocked off the top of the news by reports from Old Trafford, the very idea of a cohesive coalition programme about anything other than cuts looks that bit harder to sustain.
  • (19) "There's not previously been anything of this size or scale," she told the Guardian last month .
  • (20) We made it clear we don’t support extending hours to do anything other than debate the important issue of Senate voting reform and we won’t do anything to bring on the ABCC legislation,” Greens leader, Richard Di Natale, told ABC TV.

Ought


Definition:

  • (n. & adv.) See Aught.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) Was or were under obligation to pay; owed.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) Owned; possessed.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) To be bound in duty or by moral obligation.
  • (imp., p. p., or auxiliary) To be necessary, fit, becoming, or expedient; to behoove; -- in this sense formerly sometimes used impersonally or without a subject expressed.
  • () of Owe

Example Sentences:

  • (1) "I think that we've got to treat our kids well, but I don't think we ought to say there's no place ever for smacks.
  • (2) We recommend, that the term vitelline macular degeneration ought to be used intead of Best's macular degeneration.
  • (3) Van Gaal argued that Huth had grabbed Fellaini’s considerable hair and claimed it ought to have been a penalty but the Football Association’s disciplinary department will surely take action.
  • (4) Authors have previously published April 1988 a lecture where they criticize the bad denomination "passed coma" full of ambiguity for public mind, to which "brain death" ought to be preferred.
  • (5) It has been said that hyperfractionation radiotherapy might be a better treatment for a neuroblastoma than the conventional therapy, however, we would suggest that a modification of the radiotherapy schedule ought to depend on the type of cells, because there are cells which show broad shoulder curves and a strong capacity for repair.
  • (6) They, together with Rosicky, form the group who feel they ought to be getting more playing time but the opportunity to impress passed them by as Arsenal felt the force of Southampton’s endeavour and solidity.
  • (7) Alli almost scored with one of his first touches, denied by Martin Skrtel’s saving clearance, but England really ought to have created more clear chances given the amount of time they had on the ball.
  • (8) Dealing with the special problem of pregnancy in women with the biological disorder, one ought to consider the literature on the subject, showing the large occurrence of ante- and post-natal accidents.
  • (9) The authors suggest that there ought to be limits on the extent to which social and economic considerations in the provision of radiological services should be allowed to compromise sound principles in the radiation protection of the patient.
  • (10) Because it ought to be crystal clear what the BBC has agreed to do as part of its public service remit.
  • (11) There is going to be an urgent government inquiry with recommendations and, frankly the ABC ought to take some very strong action straightaway.” When asked whose heads should roll, Abbott ended the press conference and walked away.
  • (12) No true evangelical ought to be tempted to give such tales any credence whatsoever, no matter how popular they become,” Johnson wrote.
  • (13) On the face of it, Huhne's guilty plea last month on a charge of perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case ought to have killed the Liberal Democrats' hopes of holding the seat.
  • (14) The paper proposes that in post-behaviouristic and post-phenomenological times an integration of frames of reference, designs and methodologies ought to be attempted, notwithstanding serious dissonances, disagreements, and professions-bound interests.
  • (15) Big tumors leading to displacement of intestinal or biliary organs ought to be removed in toto; this allows complete histological work up and exclusion of malignancy, and it does prevent recurrence of the tumor as well.
  • (16) Department of Health officials have made it clear that A&Es ought to share information with police, but a spokesperson admitted it simply did not know how many hospitals were operating the model.
  • (17) It’s more to do with the politics within the Coalition rather than what I think the community wants, which is to get on with this issue to be dealt with where it ought to be dealt with – and I think that’s the fed parliament.” Asked if his party would pass the plebiscite enabling legislation, Xenophon replied: “Right now it’s a no.
  • (18) In practice, there are now two or three classes of shareholders, and the only ones that ought to have the privileges of dividends and decision-making about the future of the companies they are said to own ought to be those that hold on to your shares for the longer term.
  • (19) If the party’s senior members cannot grasp this simple fact, then perhaps they ought to replace the word “Labour” in the party’s name – or cross the floor and join the Conservatives?
  • (20) We insist that its citizens ought to be more virtuous versions of ourselves; when they fall short, our rage is terrible.