somewhat

1 of 2

pronoun

some·​what ˈsəm-ˌ(h)wət 

ˈsəm-ˌ(h)wät,

(ˌ)səm-ˈ(h)wət,

(ˌ)səm-ˈ(h)wät

: something

somewhat

2 of 2

adverb

: in some degree or measure : slightly

Synonyms

Adverb

• enough
• fairly
• kind of
• kindly [chiefly Southern]
• like
• moderately
• more or less
• pretty
• quite
• rather
• relatively
• something
• sort of

Examples of somewhat in a Sentence

Adverb

He felt somewhat awkward in his suit.

Our work has progressed somewhat.

The course is somewhat more difficult than I was told it would be.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb

Bring clarity to the finances and make everything transparent and at least somewhat balanced. —Evan Drellich, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

The stock market had its worst week of Trump’s presidency – the Dow lost 1,200 points over the course of Thursday and Friday – though it was poised to rebound somewhat Monday. —David Goldman, CNN, 24 Feb. 2025

Estimates vary widely, but most put Russia's losses somewhat higher than Ukraine's. —Dave Lawler, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025

Bags that don’t attach to pumps require milk to be transferred into them, which can be somewhat messy. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Pronoun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing somewhat

• somewhat of

Rhymes for somewhat

• butternut
• cocoanut
• coconut
• hazelnut
• undercut
• abut
• catgut
• chesnut
• chestnut
• donut
• doughnut
• groundnut

Kids Definition

somewhat

1 of 2 pronoun

some·​what ˈsəm-ˌ(h)wät 

-ˌ(h)wət;

(ˌ)səm-ˈ(h)wät,

-ˈ(h)wət

: some unspecified part or amount : something

somewhat of what you say is true

somewhat

2 of 2 adverb

: in some measure : slightly

somewhat comfortable