or else

conjunction
UK: /ɔːr els/
US: /ɔːr els/

  1. Used to say what will happen if someone does not do what you want or if something else does not happen.

    1. Do your homework, or else you will be in trouble.
    2. We must reduce spending, or else the company will face serious financial difficulties.

Synonyms

otherwise if not
or else adverb

  1. If not; otherwise. Used to introduce the consequence of something not being done or the alternative to a stated fact.

    1. Hurry up, or else we'll miss the bus.
    2. You should apologize, or else they will remain very angry with you regarding this issue.
or else noun

  1. A threat of what will happen if someone does not do something.

    1. He said 'Clean your room or else!'
    2. Her tone carried an unspoken 'or else' that silenced any further complaints regarding chores.

Frequently Asked Questions

The phonetic transcription of "or else" is /ɔːr els/ in British English and /ɔːr els/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "or else": otherwise, if not.

Example usage of "or else": "Do your homework, or else you will be in trouble.". More examples on the page.