somewhat
gb/sˈʌmwˈʌt/ us/sˈʌmwˈʌt/
B1
English
~ 2000
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B1
property
1
to a small extent
A little; not very much.
Usage pattern:
somewhat [adjective/adverb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'somewhat' with 'somehow'. 'Somewhat' refers to degree, while 'somehow' refers to manner or reason.
Synonyms
slightly (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable but 'slightly' can sound more precise or neutral.)
|
a bit (More informal and conversational than 'somewhat'.)
Antonyms
extremely (Indicates a very large degree, the opposite of 'somewhat'.)
|
not at all (Indicates zero degree, the opposite of 'somewhat'.)
Collocations
somewhat different
|somewhat surprising
|somewhat unusual
|somewhat better
Themes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The movie was somewhat better than I expected.
- She felt somewhat tired after the long day.
- The results were somewhat surprising to the researchers.
- His explanation was somewhat unclear.
- The room was somewhat larger than we had imagined.
Learner examples
- I am somewhat hungry now.
- The test was somewhat hard.
- He is somewhat tall.
- The book is somewhat interesting.
- It is somewhat cold outside.
Grammar
Dictionary form
somewhat
IPA
GB/sˈʌmwˈʌt/
US/sˈʌmwˈʌt/
Syllables & stress
some - what (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (some)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: somewhat
- Plural: somewhats
Word family
Forms
somewhats
noun
Core family
Expressions
somewhat of a
1/sˈʌmwˈʌt əv ə/
fixed phrase
to some degree of a type
Used to say that something or someone has a small amount of a particular quality or is partly like a particular thing.
Examples
- He's somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to his work.
- That decision was somewhat of a surprise to everyone.