Dictionary

something en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʊm.tɪn/ Dublin
• (Southern-England) audio
• sŭmʹthĭng
• /ˈsʊm.t̪ɪŋ/ (Ireland)
• /ˈsʊm.tɪŋ/ Dublin
• /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
• (California) audio
• [ˈsʌm(p)θɪŋ] (US)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θɪŋ] (Australia, UK)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θəŋ] (New-Zealand)
• [ˈsʌn̪θɪŋ] (US)

Etymology

From Middle English somþyng, some-thing, som thing, sum thinge, sum þinge, from Old English sum þing (literally “some thing”), equivalent to some + thing. Compare Old English āwiht (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”), Swedish någonting (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) Having a characteristic that the speaker cannot specify.
   • She was so something that she cried all the way home. 1965 January 30, Lou Sullivan, Diary:
   • 'How proud they have become,' I said, 'how disobedient. I must say, all in all, it's very something.' 2015, Edward Carey, Lungdon, →ISBN:
   • "It's very — it's very something," said Lucy. "It's a kind of love-letter, isn't it?" 1988, Colleen Klein, A Space for Delight, page 200:
   • "Very poetic." They came to a halt before the outer door. "It's very something," Rusty said wistfully. "How do you do it?" 1986, Marie Nicole, Foxy Lady, →ISBN, page 20:
   • If it isn't large, I certainly can't say it's small. But it's very something. 2014, Sommer Nectarhoff, A Buck in the Snow, →ISBN:

Forms

something en · ADV

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʊm.tɪn/ Dublin
• (Southern-England) audio
• sŭmʹthĭng
• /ˈsʊm.t̪ɪŋ/ (Ireland)
• /ˈsʊm.tɪŋ/ Dublin
• /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
• (California) audio
• [ˈsʌm(p)θɪŋ] (US)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θɪŋ] (Australia, UK)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θəŋ] (New-Zealand)
• [ˈsʌn̪θɪŋ] (US)

Etymology

From Middle English somþyng, some-thing, som thing, sum thinge, sum þinge, from Old English sum þing (literally “some thing”), equivalent to some + thing. Compare Old English āwiht (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”), Swedish någonting (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, qualifier:degree) Somewhat; to a degree.
   • Angelo. Yet giue leaue (my Lord,) That we may bring you something on the way c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
   • The baby looks something like his father.
2. (colloquial, especially, in certain set combinations, not-comparable) Used to adverbialise a following adjective
   • I miss them something terrible/rotten. (I miss them terribly)
   • You can't thrash when you have rheumatic fever – though you want to something awful, Mrs. White says. 1913, Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna, L.C. Page, →OCLC:
   • Seeing him here, though, I all of a sudden feel more like I been gone from home three years, instead of three weeks, and I miss my people something fierce. 1994 Summer, Rebecca T. Goodwin, “Keeper of the house”, in Paris Review, volume 36, number 131, page 161:
   • And then she put the coffin right out on her front porch. Jim told everyone he'd built it kind of roomy since Bobby Lee was on the stout side, but that it better get used quick because sycamore tends to warp something terrible. 2001 January, Susan Schorn, “Bobby Lee Carter and the hand of God”, in U.S. Catholic, volume 66, number 1, page 34:

Forms

Deriveds

something bad (to a high degree) · something good (to a high degree) · something awful (to a high degree) · something fierce (to a high degree) · something terrible (to a high degree)

something en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʊm.tɪn/ Dublin
• (Southern-England) audio
• sŭmʹthĭng
• /ˈsʊm.t̪ɪŋ/ (Ireland)
• /ˈsʊm.tɪŋ/ Dublin
• /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
• (California) audio
• [ˈsʌm(p)θɪŋ] (US)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θɪŋ] (Australia, UK)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θəŋ] (New-Zealand)
• [ˈsʌn̪θɪŋ] (US)

Etymology

From Middle English somþyng, some-thing, som thing, sum thinge, sum þinge, from Old English sum þing (literally “some thing”), equivalent to some + thing. Compare Old English āwiht (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”), Swedish någonting (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”).

Meanings

1. An object whose nature is yet to be defined.
   • Yea, ’t is true; I ’d know thee by thine eyen, that are gray, and thoughtful, and dark with a something that lies behind the colour of them,—and shining by the light of a lamp lit somewhere within. 1903, Florence Converse, Long Will: A Romance, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton, Mifflin and Company; Cambridge, Mass.: The Riverside Press, page 138:
   • From the ground, Colombo’s port does not look like much.[…] But viewed from high up in one of the growing number of skyscrapers in Sri Lanka’s capital, it is clear that something extraordinary is happening: China is creating a shipping hub just 200 miles from India’s southern tip. 2013 June 8, “The new masters and commanders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 52:
2. An object whose name is forgotten by, unknown or unimportant to the user, e.g., from words of a song. Also used to refer to an object earlier indefinitely referred to as 'something' (pronoun sense).
   • What was the something the pilot saw, the something worth killing for? 1999, Nicholas Clapp, The Road to Ubar http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0395957869&id=3ikdzDKkQ04C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&sig=UNimtwdgeC_w_wqGXfa4LsCDik8
   • 2004, Ira Levin, The Stepford Wives http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0060738197&id=rKeKLf7LeXAC&pg=PA151&lpg=PA151&sig=uAeyLuj-HYk1dLAme_rokCWQITc She wiped something with a cloth, wiped at the wall shelf, and put the something on it, clinking glass.
   • 2004, Theron Q Dumont, The Master Mind http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0766185435&id=-n_jW7BVfawC&pg=PA26&lpg=PA26&sig=ou-CrIyWbKyZQ0s3q0uaJTiHdsI Moreover, in all of our experience with these sense impressions, we never lose sight of the fact that they are but incidental facts of our mental existence, and that there is a Something Within which is really the Subject of these sense reports—a Something to which these reports are presented, and which receives them.

Forms

Translations (1)

es basurita (Translations)

something en · PRON

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʊm.tɪn/ Dublin
• (Southern-England) audio
• sŭmʹthĭng
• /ˈsʊm.t̪ɪŋ/ (Ireland)
• /ˈsʊm.tɪŋ/ Dublin
• /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
• (California) audio
• [ˈsʌm(p)θɪŋ] (US)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θɪŋ] (Australia, UK)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θəŋ] (New-Zealand)
• [ˈsʌn̪θɪŋ] (US)

Etymology

From Middle English somþyng, some-thing, som thing, sum thinge, sum þinge, from Old English sum þing (literally “some thing”), equivalent to some + thing. Compare Old English āwiht (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”), Swedish någonting (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”).

Meanings

1. (indefinite, pronoun) An uncertain or unspecified thing; one thing.
   • I have a feeling something good is going to happen today.
   • The answer to four down is P something T something Y.
   • She looked thirty-something. (anything from thirty-one to thirty-nine years old)
   • Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic who still resists the idea that something drastic needs to happen for him to turn his life around. 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:
   • I must have forgotten to pack something, but I can't think what.
   • I have something for you in my bag.
2. (colloquial, indefinite, of someone or something, pronoun) A quality to a moderate degree.
   • Christensen, who also edited and co-wrote the film, is becoming something of a specialist in child horror, having launched his feature directorial career with the infant-themed Still/Born in 2017. 2020 May 7, Katie Rife, “If you’re looking to jump in your seat, make a playdate with Z”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 16 May 2020:
   • That child is something of a genius.
   • The car has something of a history attached to it.
   • Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, with something of the stately pose which Richter has given his Queen Louise on the stairway, and the light of the reflector fell full upon her. 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
   • The performance was something of a disappointment.
3. (colloquial, indefinite, of a person, pronoun) A talent or quality that is difficult to specify.
   • She has a certain something.
4. (colloquial, indefinite, often, pronoun, with really or quite) Somebody who or something that is superlative or notable in some way.
   • She's quite something. I can't believe she would do such a mean thing.
   • Some marmosets are less than six inches tall. —Well, isn't that something?
   • He's really something! I've never heard such a great voice.
   • Kanye [West]'s speech was...something, that's for sure. As for a best or worst moment? Apparently, it depends on what you think of Yeezy because Twitter was a house divided. 2016 August 29, Anna Moeslein, “The Best and Worst Moments of the MTV VMAs 2016”, in Glamour:

Forms

Deriveds

slip into something more comfortable · some something or other · you learn something new every day · there is something to be said for · that's saying something · be onto something · that's something · something to write home about · something like that · a little of something goes a long way · something and nothing · somethingness · you know something · make something of · Somethingism · look like something the cat's dragged in · something tells one · that is something · something is rotten in the state of Denmark · something something · there must be something in the water · look like something the cat dragged in · something nasty in the woodshed · something or other · or something · leave something to be desired · something for the weekend · something is up · you can't get something for nothing · something is better than nothing · something else · somethingth · somethingburger · there is something rotten in the state of Denmark · you don't get something for nothing · something like · up to something · something dreadful · give someone something to think about · something green in one's eye · tell me something I don't know · look like something the cat brought in

Descendants

썸팅 · samting

Relateds

-somethingth · -something · somewhere · thing · everything · somebody · anything · someone · nothing

Synonyms

je ne sais quoi · sth

Translations (181)

sco sumthin (unspecified object) · gsw öbbis (unspecified object) · it qualcosa (unspecified object) · jam sitn (unspecified object) · da noget (unspecified object) · et midagi (unspecified object) · pt algo mais (somebody who is superlative in some way) · co qualcosa (unspecified object) · ka რაღაც (unspecified object) · gv nhee ennagh (unspecified object) · la optimum (somebody who is superlative in some way) · tg ким-чӣ (unspecified object) · de klein (a small quantity) · mvi ノーガラー (unspecified object) · ase 1@InsideNeckhigh-FingerUpPalmBack CirclesHoriz (unspecified object) · yue 某啲嘢 (unspecified object) · ms sesuatu (unspecified object) · az nəsə (unspecified object) · la quiddam (talent that is hard to pin down) · az nə isə (unspecified object) · be што́сьці (unspecified object) · nn noko (unspecified object) · gsw öppis (unspecified object) · ro ceva (talent that is hard to pin down) · sv något (talent that is hard to pin down) · bg не́що (unspecified object) · hu nem semmi (somebody who is superlative in some way) · bo ཅི་དག (unspecified object) · uk що-не́будь (unspecified object) · grc τι (unspecified object) · be не́шта (unspecified object) · gmw-ecg was (unspecified object) · nrf quique seit (unspecified object) · mfe kiksoz (unspecified object) · kw neppyth (unspecified object) · ltg kazyn kas (unspecified object) · mk нешто (somebody who is superlative in some way) · chr ᎦᎱᏍᏗ (unspecified object) · af iets (unspecified object) · sh нешто (talent that is hard to pin down) · my တစ်ခုခု (unspecified object) · mhr иктаж (unspecified object) · bo ཅི་ཞིག (unspecified object) · cmn 某物 (unspecified object) · el κάτι (talent that is hard to pin down) · hi कुछ (unspecified object) · yi עפּעס (unspecified object) · cy rhywbeth (talent that is hard to pin down) · da et eller andet (unspecified object) · gd rudeigin (unspecified object) · fi jotakin (somebody who is superlative in some way) · lad alguna koza (unspecified object) · ary شي حاجة (unspecified object) · gl algunha cousa (unspecified object) · kjh пір ниме (unspecified object) · te ఏదో (unspecified object) · la aliquid (talent that is hard to pin down) · yi עטוואָס (unspecified object) · ro ceva (unspecified object) · is eitthvað (unspecified object) · acw شي (unspecified object) · pl coś (talent that is hard to pin down) · sh нешто (unspecified object) · ja 最高 (somebody who is superlative in some way) · hu valami (unspecified object) · hu nem akármi (somebody who is superlative in some way) · km អី (unspecified object) · nb noe (unspecified object) · zdj ndrongoo (unspecified object) · gun mba'emo (unspecified object) · yi נישט סתּם (somebody who is superlative in some way) · ko 뭔가 (unspecified object) · se juoga (unspecified object) · sv något (somebody who is superlative in some way) · gmw-ecg aawoss (unspecified object) · eo io (unspecified object) · ang hwæthwugu (unspecified object) · apc شي (unspecified object) · hy ինչ-որ բան (unspecified object) · de etwas (unspecified object) · ru что́-то (unspecified object) · ta ஏதோ (unspecified object) · sh nešto (unspecified object) · li get (unspecified object) · bo ག་རེ་ཡིན་ནའང (unspecified object) · fr quelque chose (talent that is hard to pin down) · ja 何か (unspecified object) · de etwas (talent that is hard to pin down) · ro ceva (somebody who is superlative in some way) · ca qualque cosa (unspecified object) · ko 무언가 (unspecified object) · lad algune koze (Monastir) (unspecified object) · gl algo (a small quantity) · el κάτι (unspecified object) · rcf kèksoz (unspecified object) · tr bir şey (unspecified object) · sh nešto (talent that is hard to pin down) · fi jokin (unspecified object) · so wax (unspecified object) · ca alguna cosa (unspecified object) · tyz cà răng (unspecified object) · lv kaut kas (unspecified object) · la aliquid (unspecified object) · ru кое-что́ (unspecified object) · no noenting (talent that is hard to pin down) · acw حاجة (unspecified object) · vi gì (unspecified object) · arz حاجة (unspecified object) · fy eat (unspecified object) · nn eitkvart (unspecified object) · pt alguma coisa (unspecified object) · sh нешто (somebody who is superlative in some way) · ltg nazkas (unspecified object) · ur کچھ (unspecified object) · fy wat (unspecified object) · he מַשֶּׁהוּ (unspecified object) · la quiddam (unspecified object) · pl coś (somebody who is superlative in some way) · qu ima (unspecified object) · cy tipyn (a small quantity) · io kelko (unspecified object) · ru не́что (unspecified object) · lld zeche (unspecified object) · es algo (unspecified object) · jam sopm (unspecified object) · pl coś (unspecified object) · be штось (unspecified object) · yue 啲嘢 (unspecified object) · nl iets (unspecified object) · vi cái gì (unspecified object) · uk чого́-не́будь (unspecified object) · gsw ebbes (unspecified object) · cmn 某東西 /某东西 (unspecified object) · bn কিছু একটা (unspecified object) · pt algo (unspecified object) · ar شَيْء (unspecified object) · pt algo mais (talent that is hard to pin down) · gsw ebbis (unspecified object) · bg ма́лко (a small quantity) · sv något (unspecified object) · cy rhywbeth (unspecified object) · tn sengwe (unspecified object) · fi jotakin (unspecified object) · sh nešto (somebody who is superlative in some way) · ast daqué (unspecified object) · sco somethin (unspecified object) · mk нешто (unspecified object) · mk нешто (talent that is hard to pin down) · my တစ်စုံတစ်ခု (unspecified object) · uk щось (unspecified object) · ca quelcom (unspecified object) · bar eps (unspecified object) · ga rud éigin (unspecified object) · ajp شي إشي (unspecified object) · ccc anaskajneye (unspecified object) · mi ngaringari (a small quantity) · sl nekaj (unspecified object) · sv någon (unspecified object) · uk де́що (unspecified object) · tpi wanpela samting (unspecified object) · fi se jokin (talent that is hard to pin down) · vi một cái gì đó (unspecified object) · fr quelque chose (unspecified object) · vo bos (unspecified object) · gl algo (unspecified object) · th บางสิ่ง (unspecified object) · ltg kas naviņ (unspecified object) · mt xi ħaġa (unspecified object) · ko 무엇인가 (unspecified object) · tly ای چییی (unspecified object) · de Etwas (talent that is hard to pin down) · cs něco (unspecified object) · fa چیزی (unspecified object) · cmn 某事 (unspecified object) · sk niečo (unspecified object) · dlm nosko (unspecified object) · sv någonting (unspecified object) · nl iets (talent that is hard to pin down) · es alguna cosa (unspecified object) · io ulo (unspecified object) · he מַשֶּׁהוּ (talent that is hard to pin down)

something en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈsʊm.tɪn/ Dublin
• (Southern-England) audio
• sŭmʹthĭng
• /ˈsʊm.t̪ɪŋ/ (Ireland)
• /ˈsʊm.tɪŋ/ Dublin
• /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
• (California) audio
• [ˈsʌm(p)θɪŋ] (US)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θɪŋ] (Australia, UK)
• [ˈsɐm(p)θəŋ] (New-Zealand)
• [ˈsʌn̪θɪŋ] (US)

Etymology

From Middle English somþyng, some-thing, som thing, sum thinge, sum þinge, from Old English sum þing (literally “some thing”), equivalent to some + thing. Compare Old English āwiht (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”), Swedish någonting (“something”, literally “some thing, any thing”).

Meanings

1. (colloquial) Designates an action whose name is forgotten by, unknown or unimportant to the user, e.g. from words of a song.
   • 2005, Floyd Skloot, A World of Light http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0803243189&id=TEgRGe6FiTkC&pg=PA40&lpg=PA40&sig=zEj4BPQ0eEFkj6LdOI8eRJlZrzE “Oh how we somethinged on the hmmm hmm we were wed. Dear, was I ever on the stage?”
   • 1890, William Dean Howells, A Hazard of New Fortunes http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN0140439234&id=IOZeJi7U4eEC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&sig=LW2P-uKmoZabe70ZKnIHIMQLXlw He didn’t apply for it for a long time, and then there was a hitch about it, and it was somethinged—vetoed, I believe she said.
   • 2003, George Angel, “Allegoady,” in Juncture, Lara Stapleton and Veronica Gonzalez edd. http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTF-8&hl=en&vid=ISBN1887128913&id=qB-D32yV1VAC&pg=PA161&lpg=PA161&sig=9AYyYLA-MQqTgAbptreoe3VyOzQ She hovers over the something somethinging and awkwardly lowers her bulk.

Forms