may as well / might as well
may as well / might as well means “May/might as well + base verb: we might as well do it because there's nothing better to do”. May as well and might as well + base verb suggest doing something not because you really want to, but because there is no better choice or no reason not to: It's late, we may as well go home. Formation: may/might as well + base verb
May/might as well + base verb: we might as well do it because there's nothing better to do
C2Formation
may/might as well + base verb
Explanation
May as well and might as well + base verb suggest doing something not because you really want to, but because there is no better choice or no reason not to: It's late, we may as well go home. The two forms mean the same, and might as well is a little more common in speech. It often carries a shrug — 'why not?' — rather than real enthusiasm.
Examples
Note
The idiom needs the base verb straight after: might as well start now (not to start). Don't confuse it with may well (= very likely); may as well is about choosing an option, not judging how probable something is.
FAQ
may as well / might as well — what does it mean and how is it used?
May/might as well + base verb: we might as well do it because there's nothing better to do. May as well and might as well + base verb suggest doing something not because you really want to, but because there is no better choice or no reason not to: It's late, we may as well go home. The two forms mean the same, and might as well is a little more common in speech. It often carries a shrug — 'why not?' — rather than real enthusiasm.
may as well / might as well — how do you form it?
may/might as well + base verb
may as well / might as well — any usage notes?
The idiom needs the base verb straight after: might as well start now (not to start). Don't confuse it with may well (= very likely); may as well is about choosing an option, not judging how probable something is.