somebody

1 of 2

pronoun

some·​body ˈsəm-(ˌ)bə-dē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-ˌbä-
: one or some person of unspecified or indefinite identity
somebody will come in

somebody

2 of 2

noun

: a person of position or importance

Examples of somebody in a Sentence

Pronoun Somebody left you a message. The singer waved to somebody in the crowd. We need somebody who can work nights and weekends. Is that somebody you know? Somebody has to do it. After I turned down the job, she offered it to somebody else. Noun a small-town girl who hopes to become a somebody someday
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Somebody — or multiple somebodies, starting with casting directors Angelique Midthunder and Jennifer Schwalenberg — had to find the show’s four stars. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2023 In college sports, somebody’s or a group of somebodies’ pockets have always been filled, been opened up to be filled at somebody else’s expense. Gordon Monson, The Salt Lake Tribune, 4 Aug. 2023 See all Example Sentences for somebody 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'somebody.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Pronoun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of somebody was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near somebody

Cite this Entry

“Somebody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somebody. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

somebody

1 of 2 pronoun
some·​body ˈsəm-ˌbäd-ē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-bəd-
: one or some person of no certain or known identity
did somebody knock?

somebody

2 of 2 noun
: a person of position or importance
wanted to be somebody

More from Merriam-Webster on somebody

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!