adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈsʌmhaʊ/
Northumbria:/ˈsʊmhuː/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -aʊ
CMU ARPABET:S AH1 M HH AW2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
In one way or another; in a way not yet known or explained; by some means
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
This problem has to be tackled somehow.
We don't know how he's still alive after the accident, but somehow he is.
December 1, 2016, Tom Donaghy writing in The New York Times, Tender Side of Edward Albee It’s not by accident Edward wrote “The Goat,” “The Zoo Story” or “Seascape,” with its two lizards, Sarah and Leslie. In fact, in all of his plays the animal is pretty prominent, somehow or other.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adverb
Meaning 2
in some unspecified way or manner; or by some unspecified means
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
they managed somehow
he expected somehow to discover a woman who would love him
he tried to make is someway acceptable
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: someway, someways, in some way, in some manner
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
for some unspecified reason;
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
It doesn't seem fair somehow
he had me dead to rights but somehow I got away with it
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From some + how.
Across languages
Translations
79 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Assamese:
কেনেবাকৈ
(kenebakoi)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Assamese:
কিবা প্ৰকাৰে
(kiba prokare)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Belarusian:
я́ка-сь
(jáka-sʹ)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Belarusian:
не́як
(njéjak)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Belarusian:
як-не́будзь
(jak-njébudzʹ)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Bulgarian:
някакси
(njakaksi)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Chinese Mandarin:
不知何故
(bùzhī hégù)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Cornish:
war neb kor
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Czech:
nějak
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Dutch:
op een of andere manier
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Dutch:
eenderhoe
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Dutch:
hoe dan ook
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Esperanto:
iel
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Finnish:
jotenkin
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Finnish:
jotenkuten
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Finnish:
jollakin tavalla
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
French:
d'une façon ou d'une autre
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
French:
quelque part
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
German:
irgendwie
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Greek:
κάπως
(kápos)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Ancient Greek:
πώς
(pṓs)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Hungarian:
valahogy
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Hungarian:
valahogyan
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Icelandic:
einhvern veginn
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Irish:
ar chuma éigin
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Italian:
in qualche modo
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
なぜか
(nazeka)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
何とか
(nantoka)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
なぜなのか
(nazenanoka)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
なんだか
(nandaka)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
こころなし
(kokoronashi)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Japanese:
こころなしか
(kokoronashi ka)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Kapampangan:
agyang pakananu
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Kapampangan:
andyang pakananu
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Korean:
왠지
(waenji)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Korean:
어쩌다
(eojjeoda)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Latgalian:
nazkai
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Latgalian:
kai naviņ
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Latgalian:
kazyn kai
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Latin:
aliquā
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Latvian:
kaut kā
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Norwegian Bokmål:
på sett og vis
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Norwegian Bokmål:
på en eller annen måte
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Norwegian Bokmål:
på et eller annet vis
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Norwegian Nynorsk:
eikorleis
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Old English:
āwiht
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Old English:
in ōþer wīsan
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Pannonian Rusyn:
якош
(jakoš)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Pannonian Rusyn:
якошик
(jakošik)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Pannonian Rusyn:
якошка
(jakoška)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Pannonian Rusyn:
даяк
(dajak)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Pannonian Rusyn:
койяк
(kojjak)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Polish:
jakoś
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Portuguese:
de alguma forma
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Portuguese:
de alguma maneira
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Portuguese:
de algum jeito
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Portuguese:
por algum meio
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Romanian:
cumva
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Russian:
ка́к-то
(kák-to)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Russian:
ка́к-нибу́дь
(kák-nibúdʹ)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Russian:
почему́-то
(počemú-to)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Russian:
отчего́-то
(otčevó-to)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Sanskrit:
समह
(samaha)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Serbo-Croatian:
nekako
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Serbo-Croatian:
некако
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Slovak:
nejako
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Spanish:
de algún modo
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Spanish:
de alguna manera
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Spanish:
de alguna forma
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Swedish:
på något sätt
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Swedish:
på ett eller annat sätt
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Tagalog:
kahit na papaano
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Tagalog:
kahit papaano
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Telugu:
ఎలాగోలా
(elāgōlā)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Telugu:
ఏదోరకంగా
(ēdōrakaṅgā)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Turkish:
bir şekilde
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Ukrainian:
я́кось
(jákosʹ)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Ukrainian:
як-не́будь
(jak-nébudʹ)
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
Welsh:
rhywsut
— in one way or another; in some way not yet known or designated
