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Synonyms

sometimes

American  
[suhm-tahymz] / ˈsʌmˌtaɪmz /

adverb

  1. on some occasions; at times; now and then.

sometimes British  
/ ˈsʌmˌtaɪmz /

adverb

  1. now and then; from time to time; occasionally

  2. obsolete formerly; sometime

"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

Etymology

Origin of sometimes

First recorded in 1520–30; sometime + -s 1

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.

He also said that, while he sometimes recommends songs to his eight children, he is not trying to "educate them", but rather that sharing of music is mutual.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

He mostly just seems like a moody, unsatisfied teen, drawing elaborate maps and sometimes playing with his siblings sweetly.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

Eschewing Western musical notation, Mr. Smith developed a system that sometimes encapsulates compositions within paintings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

“It can sometimes be a scream of desperation,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

“How he was doing? He sent postcards sometimes, but otherwise it was hard to tell if—he did say he missed us.”

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

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.