else

/els/ adverb

1 who/what/why etc else or anything/someone/anywhere etc else

a) besides or in addition to someone, something etc: I've said I'm sorry. What else can I do? | Who else was at the party? | Do you want anything else to eat?

b) apart from or instead of something, someone etc: Everyone else but me was invited. | In the end she married somebody else. | It's not in my drawer, where else could it be?

2 or else or otherwise: You must pay -100 or else go to prison. | Your book must be here, or else you've lost it.

3 anything else? used to ask someone if they want to buy another thing, say another thing etc: “Twenty Marlborough and a box of matches please.” “Anything else?” “No, thanks.”

4 there's nothing else used to say that the thing you have mentioned is the only one that exists, is possible etc: You'll have to have bread and cheese. There's nothing else, I'm afraid. | It was closed, so we just went home. There was nothing else to do.

5 what else?/who else?/where else? etc used to say that it is obvious that the thing, person, place etc that has been mentioned is the only one possible: “Are you giving him computer games for his birthday?” “Of course, what else?”

6 what else can you do/say? used to say that it is impossible to do or say anything apart from what you have mentioned: I had to give it to her. What else could I do?

7 or else used to threaten someone: You'd better do it, or else!

8 if nothing else used to say that something is worth doing, good for you etc for one reason, even if there are no other reasons: He said that if nothing else, teaching taught him how to deal with people.