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

• pretty
• relatively
• quite
• rather
• fairly
• something
• enough

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

Obviously this wasn’t the best call, regardless of the somewhat ambiguous state of Belly and Jeremiah’s relationship at the time. —Olivia Petter, Vogue, 16 Sep. 2025

In one instance, Live Translation cut off my sentence, which resulted in a somewhat odd translation. —Gabriel Zamora, PC Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025

Apple diffuses the color and shape of underlying content somewhat and dims it a little so that all of the UI that's up there at the top of the screen stays legible, which usually works but occasionally doesn't. —ArsTechnica, 15 Sep. 2025

Scientists who study tipping points readily admit that the term can be somewhat vague. —Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 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