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so what

 - 7 dictionary results
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so

1  [soh]
Use so what in a Sentence
–adverb
1. in the way or manner indicated, described, or implied: Do it so.
2. in that or this manner or fashion; thus: So it turned out.
3. in the aforesaid state or condition: It is broken and has long been so.
4. to the extent or degree indicated or suggested: Do not walk so fast.
5. Informal. very or extremely: I'm so sad.
6. very greatly: My head aches so!
7. (used before an adverb or an adverbial clause and fol. by as) to such a degree or extent: so far as I know.
8. having the purpose of: a speech so commemorating the victory.
9. for this or that reason; hence; therefore: She is ill, and so cannot come to the party.
10. (used as an affirmative to emphasize or confirm a previous statement) most certainly: I said I would come, and so I will.
11. (used as an emphatic affirmative to contradict a previous statement) indeed; truly; too: I was so at the party!
12. likewise or correspondingly; also; too: If he is going, then so am I.
13. in such manner as to follow or result from: As he learned, so did he teach.
14. in the way that follows; in this way: The audience was seated, and so the famous speech began.
15. in the way that precedes; in that way: So ended the speech, and the listeners arose and cheered.
16. in such way as to end in: So live your life that old age will bring you no regrets.
17. then; subsequently: and so to bed.
–conjunction
18. in order that (often fol. by that): Check carefully, so any mistakes will be caught.
19. with the result that (often fol. by that): He checked carefully, so that the mistakes were caught.
20. on the condition that; if.
–pronoun
21. such as has been stated: to be good and stay so.
22. something that is about or near the persons or things in question, as in number or amount: Of the original twelve, five or so remain.
–interjection
23. (used as an exclamation of surprise, shock, discovery, inquiry, indifference, etc., according to the manner of utterance.)
–adjective
24. true as stated or reported; conforming with reality or the fact: Say it isn't so.
—Idioms
25. only or just so many, being a limited or small number or amount: I can eat only so many pieces of fruit.
26. only or just so much, being a limited amount or quantity; up to a certain point or maximum: I can eat only so much fruit; just so much that one can do in such a case.
27. so as,
a. with the result or purpose: to turn up the volume of the radio so as to drown out the noise from the next apartment.
b. Older Use. provided that: I like any flower, just so as it's real.
28. so much,
a. something, as an amount or cost, that is not specified or determined: The carpeting is priced at so much per yard.
b. all that is or needs to be said or done: So much for the preliminaries, let's get down to the real issues.
29. so much as, even: He doesn't so much as say hello to me.
30. so to speak. speak (def. 22).
31. so what? what (def. 25).
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE swā; c. D zoo, G so, Goth swa

Synonyms:
9. See therefore.

Usage note:
5. The intensive so meaning “very or extremely” (Everything's so expensive these days) occurs chiefly in informal speech. In writing and formal speech, intensive so is most often followed by a completing that clause: Everything is so expensive that some families must struggle just to survive.
18, 19. The conjunction so (often followed by that) introduces clauses both of purpose (We ordered our tickets early so that we could get good seats) and of result (The river had frozen during the night so people walked across it all the next day). In formal speech and writing, so that is somewhat more common than so in clauses of purpose. Otherwise, either so or so that is standard.
Like and, but1, and or, so can occur as a transitional word at the beginning of a sentence: So all our hard work finally brought results. See also as 1 , and, but 1 .
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what

  [hwuht, hwot, wuht, wot; unstressed hwuht, wuht]
–pronoun
1. (used interrogatively as a request for specific information): What is the matter?
2. (used interrogatively to inquire about the character, occupation, etc., of a person): What does he do?
3. (used interrogatively to inquire as to the origin, identity, etc., of something): What are those birds?
4. (used interrogatively to inquire as to the worth, usefulness, force, or importance of something): What is wealth without friends?
5. (used interrogatively to request a repetition of words or information not fully understood, usually used in elliptical constructions): You need what?
6. (used interrogatively to inquire the reason or purpose of something, usually used in elliptical constructions): What of it?
7. how much?: What does it cost?
8. (used relatively to indicate that which): I will send what was promised.
9. whatever; anything that: Say what you please. Come what may.
10. the kind of thing or person that: He said what everyone expected he would. They are just what I was expecting.
11. as much as; as many as: We should each give what we can.
12. the thing or fact that (used in parenthetic clauses): He went to the meeting and, what was worse, insisted on speaking.
13. (used to indicate more to follow, additional possibilities, alternatives, etc.): You know what? Shall we go or what?
14. (used as an intensifier in exclamatory phrases, often fol. by an indefinite article): What luck! What an idea!
15. British. don't you agree?: An unusual chap, what?
16. Nonstandard. that; which; who: She's the one what told me.
–noun
17. the true nature or identity of something, or the sum of its characteristics: a lecture on the whats and hows of crop rotation.
–adjective
18. (used interrogatively before nouns): What news? What clothes shall I pack?
19. whatever: Take what supplies you need.
–adverb
20. to what extent or degree? how much?: What does it matter?
21. (used to introduce a prepositional phrase beginning with with): What with storms and all, their return was delayed.
22. Obsolete. for what reason or purpose? why?
–interjection
23. (used in exclamatory expressions, often fol. by a question): What, no salt?
–conjunction
24. Older Use. as much as; as far as: He helps me what he can.
—Idioms
25. but what, Informal. but that; but who; who or that … not: Who knows but what the sun may still shine.
26. Say what? Slang. (used esp. among teenagers) What's that you say? Would you repeat that?
27. So what? Informal. (an expression of disinterest, disinclination, or contempt.)
28. what for,
a. why: What are you doing that for?
b. a punishment or scolding.
29. what have you, other things of the same kind; so forth: money, jewels, stocks, and what have you.
30. what if, what would be the outcome if; suppose that: What if everyone who was invited comes?
31. what it takes, something that enables one to achieve success or attain a desired end, as good looks, ability, or money: There's a young woman who has what it takes to get along in the world.
32. what's what, Informal. the true situation; all the facts: It's high time you told him what's what.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME; OE hwæt; c. G was, D wat, ON hvat; akin to Goth hwa, L quod, Gk tí

Usage note:
24. See doubt.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To so what
so 1   (sō)   
adv.  

  1. In the condition or manner expressed or indicated; thus: Hold the brush so.

  2. To the amount or degree expressed or understood; to such an extent: She was so weary that she fell.

  3. To a great extent; to such an evident degree: But the idea is so obvious.

  4. Because of the reason given; consequently: She was weary and so fell.

  5. Afterward; then: to the gas station and so home.

  6. In the same way; likewise: You were on time and so was I.

  7. Apparently; well, then. Used in expressing astonishment, disapproval, or sarcasm: So you think you've got troubles?

  8. In truth; indeed: "You aren't right." "I am so!"

adj.  

  1. True; factual: I wouldn't have told you this if it weren't so.

  2. In good order: Everything on his desk must be exactly so.

conj.   Usage Problem

  1. With the result or consequence that: He failed to appear, so we went on without him.

  2. In order that: I stayed so I could see you.

pron.  Such as has already been suggested or specified; the same: She became a loyal friend and remained so.
interj.  Used to express surprise or comprehension: So! You've finished your work at last.

[Middle English, from Old English swā; see swo- in Indo-European roots.]
Usage Note: Many critics and grammarians have insisted that so must be followed by that in formal writing when used to introduce a clause giving the reason for or purpose of an action: He stayed so that he could see the second feature. But since many respected writers use so for so that in formal writing, it seems best to consider the issue one of stylistic preference: The store stays open late so (or so that) people who work all day can buy groceries. · Both so and so that are acceptably used to introduce clauses that state a result or consequence: The Bay Bridge was still closed, so (or so that) the drive from San Francisco to the Berkeley campus took an hour and a half. · So is frequently used in informal speech to string together the elements of a narrative. In most cases, this practice should not be carried over into formal writing, where readers need connections to be made more explicit. · Critics have sometimes objected to the use of so as an intensive meaning "to a great degree or extent," as in We were so relieved to learn that the deadline had been extended. This usage is most common in informal contexts, perhaps because, unlike the neutral very, it presumes that the listener or reader will be sympathetic to the speaker's evaluation of the situation. Thus one would be more apt to say It was so unfair of them not to invite you than to say It was so fortunate that I didn't have to put up with your company. For just this reason, the construction may occasionally be used to good effect in more formal contexts to invite the reader to take the point of view of the speaker or subject: The request seemed to her to be quite reasonable; it was so unfair of the manager to refuse. See Usage Note at as1.

New England speakers often use a negative form such as so didn't where other varieties would use the positive so did, as in Sophie ate all her strawberries and so didn't Amelia. Since this usage may confuse a speaker who has not previously encountered it, it is best avoided in writing.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
so

  1. mod.
    very. (An intensifier that can appear before prepositional phrases and other selected adjectives that typically are not intensified.) : I was so toasted that I said, “I'm so out of here!”
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

what 
O.E. hwæt, from P.Gmc. *khwat (cf. O.S. hwat, O.N. hvat, Dan. hvad, O.Fris. hwet, Du. wat, O.H.G. hwaz, Ger. was, Goth. hva "what"), from PIE *qwod, neut. sing. of *qwos "who" (see who). Meaning "what did you say?" is recorded from c.1300; as an interrogative expletive at the end of sentences it is first recorded 1785, common early 20c. in affected British speech. Or what as an alternative end to a question is first attested 1766. "To give one what for is to respond to his remonstrant what for? by further assault" [Weekley]. The phrase is attested from 1873. What's-his-name for "unspecified person" is attested from 1697; variant whatsisface is first recorded 1967. What's up? "what is happening?" first recorded 1881.

so 
O.E. swa, swæ "in this way," from P.Gmc. *swa (cf. O.S., M.Du., O.H.G. so, O.N. sva, Dan. saa, Swed. sa, O.Fris. sa, Du. zo, Ger. so "so," Goth. swa "as"), from PIE reflexive pronomial stem *s(w)o- (cf. Gk. hos "as," O.Latin suad "so," L. se "himself"). So? as a term of dismissal is attested from 1886 (short for is that so?); so what as an exclamation of indifference dates from 1934. So-so "mediocre" is from 1530; so-and-so is from 1596 meaning "something unspecified;" first recorded 1897 as a euphemistic term of abuse.
"The adverb so at the beginning of a sentence ('So I'll pay for it!'), probably of Yiddish origin, occurs frequently in conversation." [M.Pei, "Story of English," 1952]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

so what

Who cares? What does it matter? For example, You're not going to the beach today? Well, so what, you can go tomorrow, or So what if she left without saying goodbyeshe'll call you, I'm sure. [First half of 1900s] Also see what of it.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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