somewhat

1 of 2

pronoun

some·​what ˈsəm-ˌ 

(ˌ)səm-ˈ(h)wät,

-ˈ(h)wət

: 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

Example Sentences

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

Declining natural gas prices and weak demand among farmers have eased pressures somewhat over the past few months. —Tristan Bove, Fortune, 26 Jan. 2023

By now, some groups have shown the bivalent vaccine generates somewhat higher antibody levels against various Omicron strains than the original shot, whereas others report no difference. —Byjennifer Couzin-frankel, science.org, 25 Jan. 2023

Although the shortage has eased somewhat, supply has not yet recovered. —Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 23 Jan. 2023

While various somewhat-near-Portland locations for In-N-Out Burger have been in the works for years, exactly zero of them have materialized. —oregonlive, 18 Jan. 2023

While many companies are still struggling to find workers, labor shortages have eased somewhat. —Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2023

But even though the dating world is now (somewhat) back to normal, many singles still feel off their game: More than 60 percent say dating is harder than before COVID-19, according to the Pew Research Center. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Jan. 2023

In terms of admissions, the year-on-year gain was 87% (from 60.5 million in 2021 to 113 million in 2022), revealing the impact of somewhat higher ticket prices. —Patrick Frater, Variety, 8 Jan. 2023

And some will - somewhat accurately - associate it with the abolition of slavery. —Michael Peregrine, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

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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

• somewhat of

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