ENGLISH
REFERENCE

somewhat

adv. degree
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈsəmˈwət// UK //sˈʌmwɒt// some·what Academic Archaic General-service

adv. to a small degree or a little bit. You use it to make a statement sound less strong or more polite.

adv. to a moderate or limited extent; in some measure. Often functions as a mitigator to soften the force of an adjective or verb.


SIMPLE

The results of the test were somewhat surprising.

CONTEXTUAL

The new office layout is somewhat better than the old one, though the noise levels remain high.

COMPLEX

While the initial proposal was rejected, the committee's revised stance is somewhat more aligned with the environmental standards we established last year.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From some + what.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or adverb it modifies; when modifying a verb, it usually follows the verb or its object.

Pitfall

He is somewhat of tired.He is somewhat tired.When modifying an adjective directly, 'somewhat' does not take 'of'. Use 'somewhat of a' only before a noun phrase.

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