something
pronoun
uk /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/ us /ˈsʌm.θɪŋ/
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A1
an object, situation, quality, or action that is not exactly known or
stated:
There's something sharp in my shoe.
Something in the cupboard smells weird.
We thought there was something wrong because we hadn't heard
from you.
There's something wrong with the engine - it's making strange
noises.
Something's happened to upset him but we don't know what it is.
I heard something worrying at work this morning.
Is there something you'd like to say?
Don't just stand there, do something.
There's just something strange about him.
Note:
Something is not usually used in negatives and questions.
Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples
to take action
take actionIt may already be too late to take action to prevent the
loss of habitat these animals face.
actThey need to act decisively to prevent further damage to crops.
take measuresWe call on the government to take the necessary
measures to bring to justice those responsible for this attack.
take stepsThe authorities have taken steps to prevent any
reoccurrence of the problem.
do somethingIt's about time the government did something about it.
See more results »
a thing for which you are grateful, especially because an unpleasant
thing has also happened:
We were given five hundred pounds in compensation which isn't
much but at least it's something.
More examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Grammar
Someone, somebody, something, somewhere
Someone, somebody, something, somewhere are indefinite pronouns.
They function in a similar way to some. We use them in affirmative
clauses and in questions expecting a particular answer. We can use
them to refer to both general and specific people or things. We use
them with a singular verb: …
Idioms
be (really) something
be something of a something
be/have something to do with something
have got something there
have something going with someone
or something (like that)
something a little stronger
something else
something for nothing
something like
More idioms
-something
suffix informal
uk / -sʌm.θɪŋ/ us / -sʌm.θɪŋ/
used after a number like 20, 30, etc. to refer to the age of a person who is
between 20 and 29, 30 and 39 years old, etc., or to a person who is of
this age:
I'd guess she's thirty-something.
Most of these places are aimed at twenty-somethings.
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
(Definition of something from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's
Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)
something | American Dictionary
something
pronoun
us /ˈsʌm·θɪŋ/
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a thing which is not known or stated:
I was anxious to do something.
Can I read you something else?
I was sure something had happened to him.
The ball and bat arrive at the same place at the same time, and the
rest has something to do with (= is in some way connected with)
the laws of physics.
Something can be used to describe a situation or an event that is good,
although it is not everything you had hoped for:
I exercise three times a week – it’s not enough, but at least it’s
something.
Note:
"Anything" is usually used instead of "something" in negative sentences
and questions.