What does might as well mean?

We use the phrase might as well to express that we should do something because we cannot think of a good reason not to do it (e.g., “Okay, everyone is already here, so we might as well begin”).

It can be used to emphasize that we don’t really want to do it, but it is probably the best option given the circumstances (e.g., “You’ve opened the package now, so we might as well eat it”).

We can also use this phrase to express disappointment by speculating that taking an alternative course of action in the past would have achieved the same or a better result (e.g., “We might (just) as well have watched it on TV; we were so far away from the action that we had to look at the big screens all the time anyway”).

You can use might or may interchangeably in this phrase when talking about present or future possibilities, but “might” is typically preferred when it is used to refer to the past (i.e., “might as well have”).

Have you tried QuillBot’s free Paraphraser? You can use it to find alternative ways of expressing “might as well” in your writing.