somebody
Americanpronoun
noun
-
somebodies
plural
pronoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of somebody
Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; see origin at some, body
Compare meaning
How does somebody compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
When you're talking about a person, but not a specific one, use the word somebody. If you cook more than you can eat yourself, you might ask, "Does somebody want this extra macaroni and cheese?" Interestingly, synonyms for somebody include "whoever" and "superstar." In other words, you can use this pronoun to mean any random individual, like when you suggest that somebody is likely to get hurt at a busy intersection near your house. But you can also use it for a very important, well-known, successful, or famous person: "I don't want to get stuck in this small town — I want to be somebody!"
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
This is not like suing somebody that’s judgment-proof or somebody can’t hire a good lawyer.
From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026
"I know how healing it is to have somebody finally name what you have."
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
It’s not often that somebody gets their real-estate license and becomes a Super Bowl champion within a year, but that’s exactly what Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. did.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
The targets of blame change, but the logic stays the same: somebody else took what should have been mine, and whoever it is should pay to give it back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
They heard the crackle and pop of somebody walking toward them through the dry pine needles on the forest floor, and the girls looked up hopefully.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
You can think, within two seconds, of stories of nobodies who became somebodies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
"We felt like we were somebodies for a few weeks," Elaine added.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025
Any political cartoon is bound to offend somebody — or quite a few somebodies — on a regular basis.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 25, 2023
Morocco, to its further credit beyond all the credit it has earned here, coped with that by playing like somebodies who found themselves belonging here.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 14, 2022
Not any more than certain other somebodies should ignore him!
From Lonesome Town by Ethel Dorrance
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
