Word
somewhat
Phoneticssome·what, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈsəmˈwət/
UK/sˈʌmwɒt/
Adverb of degree
Definitions
01to a limited degree
B2 · Upper Intermediate Academic
adv. to a small or moderate degree; a little bit.
adv. to a limited extent or degree. Often used to soften a statement or to indicate a moderate quality.
日本語:多少※
“The instructions were somewhat confusing, so I had to read them twice.”
“The initial results of the clinical trial were somewhat encouraging, though further testing is required to confirm the long-term efficacy of the drug.”
Usage
Usually placed before an adjective or another adverb.
Pitfall
The movie was somewhat of long.
The movie was somewhat long.
Do not use 'of' after 'somewhat' when it is followed by an adjective. Use 'somewhat' directly before the adjective.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02a certain amount
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal · Literary
n. a small amount or a part of something.
n. a certain quantity, degree, or part of something. This usage is less common in modern speech than the adverbial form.
日本語:幾分※
“There is somewhat of a mystery surrounding his sudden departure.”
“The report contains somewhat of the truth, yet it omits the most critical details regarding the financial deficit.”
Usage
Typically used in the construction 'somewhat of a/an'.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “somewhat” in context.
Verb
01. somewhat differ from the results
“Our findings somewhat differ from the results published in previous studies.”
adv + verb + prep + noun
02. somewhat resemble the original
“The new model does somewhat resemble the original design, but it has several modern upgrades.”
adv + verb + noun
Adjective
03. somewhat different from expected
“The final cost of the renovation was somewhat different from the initial estimate we received.”
adv + adj + prep + noun
04. somewhat limited
“Our options are somewhat limited at this stage, so we must choose carefully.”
adv + adj
05. somewhat reluctant to help
“The manager seemed somewhat reluctant to help us at first, but eventually he agreed.”
adv + adj + infinitive
06. somewhat surprised
“I was somewhat surprised to hear that they had decided to cancel the project so suddenly.”
adv + adj
07. somewhat different
08. somewhat like
09. somewhat unrelated
Real-World Examples
“Animals appeared at least 570 million years ago, and possibly somewhat before that.” “About two-thirds of Americans consider religion “somewhat” or “very” important , compared with 56% in Italy, 40% in Spain and 36% in Germany.” “The same overall pattern appeared in all five temperature records, even though the datasets are produced by different scientific organizations and use somewhat different methods.” “But knowing what we do about Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA is now allowing researchers to answer a somewhat different question: Is there anything else?” Etymology
From some + what.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/somewhat
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0