Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
sometimes en · ADV
Pronunciation
- /ˈsʌm.taɪmz/
- sŭmʹtīmz
- (US) audio
Etymology
From Middle English sumtymes, somtymes, som tymes, equivalent to sometime + -s (adverbial suffix). Compare West Frisian somstiden (“sometimes”), Dutch somtijds, somwijlen (“sometimes”).
Meanings
-
(not-comparable) On some occasions, over some periods, or in certain circumstances, but not always.
Sometimes I sit and think, but mostly I just sit.
It is good that we sometimes be contradicted, and ill though of, and that we always bear it well, even when we deserve to be well spoken of : perfect peace and security cannot be had in this world.
a. 1667, Jeremy Taylor, “Agenda; or, Things to Be Done”, in The Whole Works of the Right Rev. Jeremy Taylor, D.D., volume III, London: Frederick Westley and A. H. Davis, published 1836, page 730:The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.
2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, archived from the original on 19 Sep 2020, page 55:In 16th and 17th century Britain, for example, women’s alopecia was sometimes interpreted as retribution for sins, including adultery.
2024 March 31, Glen Jankowski, “Alopecia in art history: The many ways women’s hair loss has been interpreted”, in CNN:We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner. He could not be induced to remain permanently at Mohair because Miss Trevor was at Asquith, but he appropriated a Hempstead cart from the Mohair stables and made the trip sometimes twice in a day.
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:
-
(not-comparable, obsolete) On a certain occasion in the past; once.
What art thou that vſurp’ſt this time of night, / Together with that Faire and Warlike forme / In which the Maieſty of buried Denmarke / Did ſometimes march : By Heauen I charge thee ſpeake.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 152, column 2, lines 46–49:For yee were sometimes darkenesse, but now are yee light in the Lord: walke as children of light […]
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ephesians 5:8:They detract, ſcoffe and raile ſaith one, & barke at mee on every ſide, but I, like that Albanian dog ſometimes given to Alexander for a preſent, vindico me ab illis ſolo contemptu, I ly ſtill and ſleep, vindicate my ſelfe by contempt alone.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Remedies against diſcontents”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 3, member 7, page 351:
Forms
Deriveds
Homer sometimes nods · sometimes a cigar is a cigar · sometimes food · sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you · sometimes a cigar is just a cigar
Relateds
sometime
Synonyms
while · in the past · at times · ere · in advance · precedently · yet · erenow · erewhile · while · uncommonly · erstwhiles · in the past · at one time · sporadically · aforehand · irregularly · sometimes · whilere · before · at one time or another · occasionally · already · whilom · ever and anon · therebefore · beforehand · once in a while · formerly · from time to time · sometime · once · afore · sometime · every now and then · sometimes · beforetime · foretime · once in a while · from time to time · occasionally · now and then · whilom · on occasion · every once in a while · every so often · every so often · at one time · erstwhile · yestertime · previously · antecedently · late · now and again · yestertide · at times · intermittently
Translations (197)
af soms (on certain occasions, but not always) · uk і́нколи (on certain occasions, but not always) · it a volte (on certain occasions, but not always) · lki گاجار (on certain occasions, but not always) · kw treweythyow (on certain occasions, but not always) · nl somtijds (on certain occasions, but not always) · th บางครั้ง (on certain occasions, but not always) · cmn 有時 /有时 (on certain occasions, but not always) · ia alicun vices, alcun veces, interdum (on certain occasions, but not always) · ary شي خطرات (on certain occasions, but not always) · ja 時々 (on certain occasions, but not always) · he לפעמים (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv stundom (on certain occasions, but not always) · es a veces (on certain occasions, but not always) · eo iafoje (on certain occasions, but not always) · ajp أحيانا (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur گاہے (on certain occasions, but not always) · it qualche volta (on certain occasions, but not always) · gsw mängmaal (on certain occasions, but not always) · es de vez en cuando (on certain occasions, but not always) · ru поро́й (on certain occasions, but not always) · mk понекогаш (on certain occasions, but not always) · no stundom (on certain occasions, but not always) · ka დროგამოშვებით (on certain occasions, but not always) · ceb usahay (on certain occasions, but not always) · sh kàtkad (on certain occasions, but not always) · mn үе үе (on certain occasions, but not always) · nl soms (on certain occasions, but not always) · pl od czasu do czasu (on certain occasions, but not always) · ha wani lokaci (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur کبھی کبھار (on certain occasions, but not always) · ar أَحْيَانًا (on certain occasions, but not always) · tr ara sıra (on certain occasions, but not always) · tr bazen (on certain occasions, but not always) · uk іноді́ (on certain occasions, but not always) · id kadang (on certain occasions, but not always) · jv kadhangkala (on certain occasions, but not always) · az hərdən (on certain occasions, but not always) · es algunas veces (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv emellanåt (on certain occasions, but not always) · lt kartais (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur کبھی کبھی (on certain occasions, but not always) · io kelkafoye (on certain occasions, but not always) · frm aulcunesfoys (on certain occasions, but not always) · el μερικές φορές (on certain occasions, but not always) · eu batzuetan (on certain occasions, but not always) · is stundum (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur بعض اوقات (on certain occasions, but not always) · sq ndonjëherë (on certain occasions, but not always) · ar سَاعَات (on certain occasions, but not always) · ja まま (on certain occasions, but not always) · ga amanna (on certain occasions, but not always) · az bəzən (on certain occasions, but not always) · pl czasem (on certain occasions, but not always) · ca de vegades (on certain occasions, but not always) · sh pònekad (on certain occasions, but not always) · kk кейде (on certain occasions, but not always) · aeb مَرَّاتْ (on certain occasions, but not always) · pdt eenjemol (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur کبھی (on certain occasions, but not always) · gl ás vegadas (on certain occasions, but not always) · ar أَوْقات (on certain occasions, but not always) · cs někdy (on certain occasions, but not always) · el καμιά φορά (on certain occasions, but not always) · da stundom (on certain occasions, but not always) · ckb جاروبار (on certain occasions, but not always) · my တစ်ခါတစ်ခါ (on certain occasions, but not always) · az arada (on certain occasions, but not always) · th บางที (on certain occasions, but not always) · ml ചിലപ്പോഴൊക്കെ (on certain occasions, but not always) · eo iufoje (on certain occasions, but not always) · ajp مرّات (on certain occasions, but not always) · cy weithiau (on certain occasions, but not always) · hy երբեմն (on certain occasions, but not always) · ga scaití (on certain occasions, but not always) · sh по̀некад (on certain occasions, but not always) · lo ບາງເທື່ອ (on certain occasions, but not always) · de manchmal (on certain occasions, but not always) · gl ás veces (on certain occasions, but not always) · az arabir (on certain occasions, but not always) · mk некогаш (on certain occasions, but not always) · ca a vegades (on certain occasions, but not always) · nan-hbl 有時 /有时 (on certain occasions, but not always) · ja 時時 (on certain occasions, but not always) · oj naningodinong (on certain occasions, but not always) · eo kelkfoje (on certain occasions, but not always) · pt às vezes (on certain occasions, but not always) · sk niekedy (on certain occasions, but not always) · pl czasami (on certain occasions, but not always) · aeb سَاعَاتْ (on certain occasions, but not always) · wa pacô (on certain occasions, but not always) · wa tenawete (on certain occasions, but not always) · ro uneori (on certain occasions, but not always) · dsb wótergi (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv då och då (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur گاہے ماہے (on certain occasions, but not always) · la interdum (on certain occasions, but not always) · ka ხანდახან (on certain occasions, but not always) · ro ocazional (on certain occasions, but not always) · pa ਕਦੀ (on certain occasions, but not always) · cs občas (on certain occasions, but not always) · fa گاهی (on certain occasions, but not always) · sa कदापि (on certain occasions, but not always) · gsw mängist (on certain occasions, but not always) · nl weleens (on certain occasions, but not always) · ur گاہے گاہے (on certain occasions, but not always) · nl somwijlen (on certain occasions, but not always) · no tidvis (on certain occasions, but not always) · sdh جارجار (on certain occasions, but not always) · ary نوبة نوبة (on certain occasions, but not always) · ru времена́ми (on certain occasions, but not always) · it talvolta (on certain occasions, but not always) · fr parfois (on certain occasions, but not always) · da undertiden (on certain occasions, but not always) · fa بعضیوقتها (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv till och från (on certain occasions, but not always) · dak tuktentu (on certain occasions, but not always) · ru иногда́ (on certain occasions, but not always) · ka ზოგჯერ (on certain occasions, but not always) · sco whiles (on certain occasions, but not always) · eo fojfoje (on certain occasions, but not always) · yue 有時 /有时 (on certain occasions, but not always) · cmn 有時候 /有时候 (on certain occasions, but not always) · uk де́коли (on certain occasions, but not always) · zza ge-gane (on certain occasions, but not always) · ht pafwa (on certain occasions, but not always) · nan-hbl 有時陣 /有时阵 (on certain occasions, but not always) · grc ἐνίοτε (on certain occasions, but not always) · tl minsan (on certain occasions, but not always) · sh ка̀ткад (on certain occasions, but not always) · nrf parfeis (on certain occasions, but not always) · nds-de manchmal (on certain occasions, but not always) · hu néha (on certain occasions, but not always) · da indimellem (on certain occasions, but not always) · hu olykor (on certain occasions, but not always) · vi thỉnh thoảng (on certain occasions, but not always) · es a la de veces (on certain occasions, but not always) · nds-de somtyds (on certain occasions, but not always) · gd corra uair (on certain occasions, but not always) · ga uaireanta (on certain occasions, but not always) · bg поня́кога (on certain occasions, but not always) · ary بعض المرات (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv av och till (on certain occasions, but not always) · kea asbês (on certain occasions, but not always) · gd uaireannan (on certain occasions, but not always) · pa ਕਦੇ ਕਦੇ (on certain occasions, but not always) · he לְעִתִּים (on certain occasions, but not always) · be ча́сам (on certain occasions, but not always) · sdh گاجار (on certain occasions, but not always) · ajp أَوْقات (on certain occasions, but not always) · fi joskus (on certain occasions, but not always) · la nonnunquam (on certain occasions, but not always) · fr tantôt (on certain occasions, but not always) · my ရံဖန်ရံခါ (on certain occasions, but not always) · km ជួនកាល (on certain occasions, but not always) · ckb جارجار (on certain occasions, but not always) · da somme tider (on certain occasions, but not always) · sv ibland (on certain occasions, but not always) · ko 때때로 (on certain occasions, but not always) · ar أحيانا (on certain occasions, but not always) · uk ча́сом (on certain occasions, but not always) · haw kekahi manawa (on certain occasions, but not always) · hi कभी (on certain occasions, but not always) · ary شي مرات (on certain occasions, but not always) · sw pengine (on certain occasions, but not always) · is af og til (on certain occasions, but not always) · ru подча́с (on certain occasions, but not always) · ajp أحيانا (on certain occasions, but not always) · ko 가끔씩은 (on certain occasions, but not always) · ang hwīlum (on certain occasions, but not always) · fr quelquefois (on certain occasions, but not always) · af partykeer (on certain occasions, but not always) · fi toisinaan (on certain occasions, but not always) · pl niekiedy (on certain occasions, but not always) · uz baʼzan (on certain occasions, but not always) · la aliquandō (on certain occasions, but not always) · ms kadang-kadang (on certain occasions, but not always) · ko 자주 (on certain occasions, but not always) · wa tinzintins (on certain occasions, but not always) · da af og til (on certain occasions, but not always) · ro câteodată (on certain occasions, but not always) · te అప్పుడప్పుడు (on certain occasions, but not always) · el ενίοτε (on certain occasions, but not always) · sl včásih (on certain occasions, but not always) · wa padecô (on certain occasions, but not always) · et vahel (on certain occasions, but not always) · lv dažreiz (on certain occasions, but not always) · hi कभी कभी (on certain occasions, but not always) · izh välin (on certain occasions, but not always) · eo foje (on certain occasions, but not always) · kmr carina (on certain occasions, but not always) · oj aangodinong (on certain occasions, but not always) · es a las [de] veces (on certain occasions, but not always) · fr des fois (on certain occasions, but not always) · bn কখনো সখনো (on certain occasions, but not always) · ka დროდადრო (on certain occasions, but not always) · no av og til (on certain occasions, but not always)