something
/ˈsʌmθɪŋ
/pronoun
1A thing that is unspecified or unknown: we stopped for something to eat I knew something terrible had happened something about her frightened me...
- Probably would be a good idea to stop for something to eat and drink after this, get some energy back.
- They had stopped at a service station, had something to eat and still caught up with us!
- It seemed so fitting for a gathering of people remembering something so terrible.
2Used in various expressions indicating that a description or amount being stated is not exact: a wry look, something between amusement and regret grassland totalling something over three hundred acres there were something like fifty applications...
- It is something like Bob said earlier on, it is something we do in our own time.
- One of the women hands me a sharp metal lance, something between a sword and a skewer.
- An impressive high score on an early machine was something like two thousand points.
adverb [as submodifier]
1 informal Used for emphasis with a following adjective functioning as an adverb: my back hurts something terrible he used to take the mickey out of me something awful...
- It must hurt something terrible.
2 archaic or dialect To some extent; somewhat: the people were something scared...
- Although we trained very well, I believe that we were something nervous because of the value of the telescope.
Phrases
or something
quite (or really) something
something else
something like
something of
something or other
there is something in ——
twenty-something (thirty-something, forty-something, etc.)
Origin
Old English sum thing (see some, thing).