some

[ suhm; unstressed suhm ]

/ sʌm; unstressed səm /

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See synonyms for some on Thesaurus.com

adjective

being an undetermined or unspecified one: Some person may object.

(used with plural nouns) certain: Some days I stay home.

of a certain unspecified number, amount, degree, etc.: to some extent.

unspecified but considerable in number, amount, degree, etc.: We talked for some time. He was here some weeks.

Informal. of impressive or remarkable quality, consequence, extent, etc.: That was some storm.

pronoun

certain persons, individuals, instances, etc., not specified: Some think he is dead.

an unspecified number, amount, etc., as distinguished from the rest or in addition: He paid a thousand dollars and then some.

adverb

(used with numerals and with words expressing degree, extent, etc.) approximately; about: Some 300 were present.

Informal. to some degree or extent; somewhat: I like baseball some. She is feeling some better today.

Informal. to a great degree or extent; considerably: That's going some.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of some

First recorded before 900; Middle English (adjective and pronoun); Old English sum originally, “someone”; cognate with Middle Low German, Middle High German sum, Old Norse sumr, Gothic sums

words often confused with some

As pronouns, both some and any may be used in affirmative or negative questions: Will you ( won't you ) have some? Do you ( don't you ) have any? But some is used in affirmative statements and answers: You may have some. Yes, I'd like some. And in negative statements and answers, any is the usual choice: I don't care for any. No, I can't take any.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH some

some , sum

Other definitions for some (2 of 4)

-some¹

a native English suffix formerly used in the formation of adjectives: quarrelsome; burdensome.

Origin of -some

Middle English; Old English -sum; akin to Gothic -sama,German -sam;see same

Other definitions for some (3 of 4)

-some²

a collective suffix used with numerals: twosome; threesome.

Origin of -some

Middle English -sum,Old English sum; special use of some (pronoun)

Other definitions for some (4 of 4)

-some³

a combining form meaning “body,” used in the formation of compound words: chromosome.

Also -soma.

Origin of -some

<Greek sôma body; see soma¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use some in a sentence

At 17, she attended the Durango Songwriters Expo, a summit where 30 music industry professionals mentor 200 some-odd attendees.
‘All About That Bass’ Singer Meghan Trainor On Haters and Her Polarizing (and Unlikely) No. 1 Hit|Marlow Stern|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sixty-some years later, people are still plunking themselves down in the ever-popular Eames chairs.
15 Most Bonkers Chairs at Pop Art Design in London|Chloë Ashby|October 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
My neurotic Jewish mother calls me every year in August to remind me that I need to get a flu shot before they some-how run out.
Avoiding the Next Spanish Influenza|Ilana Glazer|January 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Thirty-some years later, the takeover is still a trauma of very high and personal order.
What Ben Affleck’s 'Argo' Misses About Iran|Roya Hakakian|October 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Could that blame-some-other-guy strategy succeed at a time of genuine economic distress?
Obama’s Race Trump Card|Michael Medved|July 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He was like a fly condemned to spend his life in the irk-some society of the spider.
American Sketches|Charles Whibley
He also thanked him for his good service, and told him to choose some-one of his possessions, for he would get whatever he wanted.
The Yellow Fairy Book|Various
We had in our box the hand-some ambassador and late tutor of the Mahararana of Oodeypore.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan|Helena Pretrovna Blavatsky
They were twenty small red demons rather like Billy, and the same number of tiny skeletons, all with waggle-some hands and feet.
Winona of the Camp Fire|Margaret Widdemer
Wed all be subjected to a force of twenty-some gravities for a period of several seconds.
A Place in the Sun|C.H. Thames

British Dictionary definitions for some (1 of 4)

some

/ (sʌm, unstressed səm) /

determiner

(a) certain unknown or unspecifiedsome lunatic drove into my car; some people never learn
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)some can teach and others can't

an unknown or unspecified quantity or amount ofthere's some rice on the table; he owns some horses
(as pronoun; functioning as sing or plural)we'll buy some

a considerable number or amount ofhe lived some years afterwards
a littleshow him some respect

(usually stressed) informal an impressive or remarkablethat was some game!

a certain amount (more) (in the phrases some more and (informal) and then some)

about; approximatelyhe owes me some thirty pounds

adverb

US not standard to a certain degree or extentI guess I like him some

Word Origin for some

Old English sum; related to Old Norse sumr, Gothic sums, Old High German sum some, Sanskrit samá any, Greek hamē somehow

British Dictionary definitions for some (2 of 4)

-some¹

suffix forming adjectives

characterized by; tending toawesome; tiresome

Word Origin for -some

Old English -sum; related to Gothic -sama, German -sam

British Dictionary definitions for some (3 of 4)

-some²

suffix forming nouns

indicating a group of a specified number of membersthreesome

Word Origin for -some

Old English sum, special use of some (determiner)

British Dictionary definitions for some (4 of 4)

-some³

/ (-səʊm) /

n combining form

a bodychromosome

Word Origin for -some

from Greek sōma body

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with some

some

see and then some; catch some rays; catch some z's; dig up (some dirt); in a (some) sense; in some measure; one of these days (some day); take some doing; to some degree; win some, lose some.

some

Origin of some

words often confused with some

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH some

Other definitions for some (2 of 4)

Origin of -some

Other definitions for some (3 of 4)

Origin of -some

Other definitions for some (4 of 4)

Origin of -some

Words related to some

How to use some in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for some (1 of 4)

Word Origin for some

British Dictionary definitions for some (2 of 4)

Word Origin for -some

British Dictionary definitions for some (3 of 4)

Word Origin for -some

British Dictionary definitions for some (4 of 4)

Word Origin for -some

Other Idioms and Phrases with some