somebody

American  

[suhm-bod-ee, -buhd-ee, -buh-dee] / ˈsʌmˌbɒd i, -ˌbʌd i, -bə di /

pronoun

1. some person.

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noun

somebodies plural

1. a person of some note or importance.

somebody British  

/ ˈsʌmbədɪ /

pronoun

1. some person; someone

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noun

1. a person of greater importance than others

   he seems to be somebody in this town

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:

• someone vs. somebody

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

“It takes at least 45 days to 60 days for somebody to settle in, and by that time they need to get back to school or whatever other obligation they had,” Ben Eli said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026

“I mean, she’s a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn’t make somebody not available to serve.”

From Salon • May 22, 2026

They do not want you to contact somebody else.

From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026

"It's easy to say in hindsight, but I was always unsure about giving the job to somebody with no experience of managing a men's team," Sanders said.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

My arms wanted to hug somebody instead of holding my backpack to my chest like a shield.

From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan

Related Words

• someone
• whoever