- /səm/, strong form /sʌm//səm/, strong form /sʌm/used with uncountable nouns or plural countable nouns to mean ‘an amount of’ or ‘a number of’, when the amount or number is not given
- There's some milk in the fridge.
- Have some more vegetables.
- used to refer to certain members of a group or certain types of a thing, but not all of them
- Some people find this more difficult than others.
- Some people never seem to put on weight while others are always on a diet.
- I like some modern music (= but not all of it).
- a large number or amount of something
- It was with some surprise that I heard the news.
- We've known each other for some years now.
- We're going to be working together for some time (= a long time).
- a small amount or number of something
- There is some hope that things will improve.
- used with singular nouns to refer to a person, place, thing or time that is not known or not identified
- There must be some mistake.
- He's in some kind of trouble.
- She won a competition in some newspaper or other.
- I'll see you again some time, I'm sure.
- (informal, sometimes ironic) used to express a positive or negative opinion about somebody/something
- That was some party!
- Some expert you are! You know even less than me.
Word OriginOld English sum, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek hamōs ‘somehow’ and Sanskrit sama ‘any, every’.
Check pronunciation:
some