not so much

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic US):

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Phrase

not so much

1. Indicates that the speaker identifies with a prior statement to a much lesser degree (or not at all) than the other person.

   My mom really likes spinach; me, not so much.

2. Indicates that one factor is much more relevant or important than another.

   It's not so much that he's a bad person, but that his political views are too extreme.

Usage notes

• For the second sense, commonly used in the construction "not so much... as/but..."

Further reading

• “not so much (something) as (something else)”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “not so much”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “not so much” (US) / “not so much” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “not so much”, in Collins English Dictionary.