somebody

1 of 2

pronoun

some·​body ˈsəm-(ˌ)bə-dē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-ˌbä-
: one or some person of unspecified or indefinite identity
somebody will come in

somebody

2 of 2

noun

: a person of position or importance

Examples of somebody in a Sentence

Pronoun Somebody left you a message. The singer waved to somebody in the crowd. We need somebody who can work nights and weekends. Is that somebody you know? Somebody has to do it. After I turned down the job, she offered it to somebody else. Noun a small-town girl who hopes to become a somebody someday
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
If the Warriors add Markkanen or any player at that kind of salary, somebody, or multiple somebodies, would eventually have to go. Tim Kawakami, The Athletic, 5 Aug. 2024 Over the decades, amateurs have beaten pros, nobodies have beaten somebodies. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2024 That’s good, Joan, because there are 24 potential somebodies headed to the Bachelor mansion right now to meet you. Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Sep. 2024 Somebody — or multiple somebodies, starting with casting directors Angelique Midthunder and Jennifer Schwalenberg — had to find the show’s four stars. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for somebody 

Word History

First Known Use

Pronoun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1566, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of somebody was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near somebody

Cite this Entry

“Somebody.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/somebody. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

somebody

1 of 2 pronoun
some·​body ˈsəm-ˌbäd-ē How to pronounce somebody (audio)
-bəd-
: one or some person of no certain or known identity
did somebody knock?

somebody

2 of 2 noun
: a person of position or importance
wanted to be somebody

More from Merriam-Webster on somebody

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!