what with
English
editPronunciation
editAudio (US): (file) Audio (General Australian): (file)
Preposition
edit- (idiomatic, informal) Owing to; because of; as a result of.
- She was sleeping very badly these days, what with the new baby and all the activity surrounding him.
- What with it being too late and raining, we decided to stay home.
- 2009 October 29, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Mr Stink, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
- It was hard to take him seriously, though, what with his multi-colored eye makeup.
Usage notes
edit- Unlike its synonymous expressions, what with is always preceded by a comma if not used at the beginning of a sentence.