after*/*/*/

[ˈɑːftə]

grammar word summary: After can be: ■ a preposition: I went for a swim after breakfast. ■ an adverb: He died on 3rd June and was buried the day after. ■ a conjunction: After you'd left, I got a phone call from Stuart.

1) at a later time when a particular time has passed, or when an event or action has ended

You can call us any time after 6.00 this evening.[/ex]

After the war, I went back to work on the farm.[/ex]

This message arrived after everyone had gone home.[/ex]

It seems noisy at first, but after a while you get used to it.[/ex]

Wash your hands after touching raw meat.[/ex]

2) saying how much later used for saying how much later something is

His birthday is two days after mine.[/ex]

I can start work tomorrow or the day after.[/ex]

You shouldn't go swimming straight after a big meal.[/ex]

3) at a later position in a list following someone or something else in order in a list or in a piece of writing

N comes after M in the alphabet.[/ex]

The US is our largest export market after Germany.[/ex]

4) past a place further along a road, railway etc

You turn right just after the pub.[/ex]

We get off at the station after Providence.[/ex]

5) trying to get sb/sth trying to catch, find, or get someone or something

I ran after her to apologize.[/ex]

Watch out, he's only after your money.[/ex]

The police are after him for burglary.[/ex]

6) because of sth used for saying how someone is influenced by something that happened in the past

After what happened last time, I was careful not to make the same mistakes.[/ex]

7) despite sth despite everything that was done in the past

After everything that I'd done for her, she didn't even say thank you.[/ex]

8) time past the hour American

used in telling the time, for giving the number of minutes past the hour

•

after all — 1) despite what was said or planned before[/ex]

I'm sorry, but we've decided not to come after all.[/ex]

Maybe she was right after all.[/ex]

— 2) used when giving a reason to explain what you have just said

She shouldn't be working so hard - she is 70, after all.[/ex]

after you — spoken used for politely telling someone that they can do something before you or walk somewhere in front of you[/ex]

day after day/year after year etc — happening again and again every day/year etc for a long time[/ex]

Many families come back to our hotel year after year.[/ex]

one after another; one after the other — used for saying that actions are done or things happen with very little time between them[/ex]

They had four children one after another.[/ex]

one after another; one after the other — used for saying that each person or thing is immediately followed by the next[/ex]

One day I had three different exams one after the other.[/ex]