some ‧ thing S1 W1 /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ BrE AmE pronoun
1 . used to mean a particular thing when you do not know its name or do not know exactly what it is ⇨ anything , everything , nothing :
There’s something in my eye.
Sarah said something about coming over later.
something new/old/good etc
It’s a good car, but I’m looking for something newer.
The house was too small, so they decided to look for something else (=a different one) .
I think there’s something wrong (=a problem) with the phone.
I don’t know what he does exactly, but I know it has something to do with computers (=is related to them in some way) .
2 . something to eat/drink/read/do etc some food, a drink, a book, an activity etc:
Would you like something to drink?
I should take something to read on the plane.
3 . do something to do something in order to deal with a problem or difficult situation:
Don’t just stand there – do something!
do something about
Can you do something about that noise?
4 . something about somebody/something used to say that a person, situation etc has a quality or feature that you recognize but you cannot say exactly what it is
(there is) something different/odd/unusual about somebody/something
There was something rather odd about him.
There’s something about her voice that I find really sexy.
5 . ... or something spoken used when you cannot remember, or do not think it is necessary to give, another example of something you are mentioning:
Her name was Judith, or Julie, or something.
Here’s some money. Get yourself a sandwich or something.
6 . something like 100/2,000 etc close to but not exactly a large amount such as 100, 2,000 etc:
Something like 50,000 homes are without power.
7 . be thirty-something/forty-something etc used to say that someone is aged between 30 and 39, between 40 and 49 etc when you do not know exactly
8 . be (really/quite) something spoken used to say that something is very good and impressive:
Running your own company at 21 is really something.
That was really something, wasn’t it?
9 . be something else spoken to be unusual or funny to other people:
You really are something else!
10 . there’s something in/to something used to admit that someone’s words are true or their ideas are successful etc:
They had to concede that there was something in his teaching methods.
Do you think there’s something to the rumours about Larry and Sue?
11 . have something of something to have a few of the same features or qualities that someone else has:
It was clear that Jenkins had something of his father’s brilliance.
12 . be something of a gardener/an expert etc to know a lot about something or to be very good at something:
Charlie’s always been something of an expert on architecture.
13 . something of a shock/surprise etc formal used to say that something is a shock, surprise etc, but not completely or not in a strong or severe way:
The news came as something of a surprise.
14 . a little something used when you are telling someone that you have bought them a present:
I got you a little something for your birthday.
15 . sixty something/John something etc spoken used when you cannot remember the rest of a number or name:
‘How much did you spend on groceries?’ ‘A hundred and twenty something.’
16 . make something of yourself to become successful
17 . that’s something used to say that there is one thing that you should be glad about:
At least we have some money left. That’s something, isn’t it?
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THESAURUS
▪ thing used when you do not need to say the name, or when you do not know the name:
What’s that thing on the kitchen table?
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Have you got all your things?
▪ something a thing – used when you are not sure what the thing is:
There’s something on your shirt.
▪ object especially written a solid thing:
a sharp metal object
▪ item formal a particular kind of thing, or one of a group of things:
household items
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a luxury item
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an item of equipment
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The items included pieces of old pottery.
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You are not allowed to take sharp items onto the plane.
▪ article formal a particular kind of thing, or one of a group of things. Article is very formal, and is used especially in the phrase an article of clothing :
They found several articles of clothing in the bushes.
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suspicious articles
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Each article has a card with it giving more information.
▪ artifact ( also artefact ) formal an object that someone has made, especially one that is very old and has historical value:
The museum has a collection of early Roman artifacts.
▪ thingy ( also thingamajig/thingamabob ) spoken informal a thing – used especially when you cannot remember the name of the thing, but often the other person knows what you are talking about:
Can you pass me the thingy?