thing

SayTHING/θiŋ/UK/θɪŋ/

23 meanings of thing

1
object or ideanouncountable
Anything regarded as having a separate existence, whether an object, a quality, or an idea.
The first thing to understand is that nothing is free.
Things are not always what they seem.
Similarpoint, matter
Note
The broadest sense, and a very old one: Old English þing, with close relatives across the Germanic languages, including German Ding, Dutch ding and Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ting. Even in 1611 the King James Bible speaks of "those things which are most surely believed," and those things are events, not objects.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 5 facts
The broad meaning is old and existed in Old English þing. en.wiktionary.org
English thing derives from Old English þing. en.wiktionary.org
The King James Bible was first published in 1611. wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk
The King James Bible contains the quoted wording, allowing modernized spelling. en.wikisource.org
Things in this passage refers to events. en.wikipedia.org
2
nouncountable
Something a person does or says, such as an action, a task or a remark.
What a terrible thing to say to your own brother!
The first thing she did as mayor was cut her own salary.
UsageOften adjective + thing + to + verb: a kind thing to do, a terrible thing to say.
Note
Deeds and words are judged more often than described with this sense: a terrible thing to say, a kind thing to do, the right thing.
3
some objectnouncountable
Any particular object or separate entity, considered individually.
I found a strange metal thing under the sofa and have no idea what it is.
Put those things back where they belong.
Similarobject, item, article
4
noun
In the plural, how life, work or events are going generally; the overall situation or state of affairs.
Things at the office have been tense since the layoffs were announced.
If things keep going this way, we'll finish the house by spring.
UsagePlural in this sense: How are things?, things are looking up, the way things are.
Similarmatters
Note
It anchors a family of everyday phrases, such as How are things?, things are looking up and the way things are, and it is vaguer than situation on purpose, covering work, health and mood at once.
5
nouncountableplural
In the plural, possessions or equipment; stuff or gear.
Bring your swimming things on Friday.
Her things filled three boxes.
UsageUsually with a possessive: your things, her swimming things.
Similarbelongings, possessions, stuff, gear, kit
6
nouncolloquial
Used with the, especially in the thing is or here's the thing, to introduce the main point, often a problem, excuse or objection.
Here's the thing, I never wanted the job.
The thing about him is that he never lies.
Similarpoint, crux
7
nouncolloquialcountable
Something that creates a problem or makes a situation harder to deal with.
We'd have moved in by now, but there's a thing with the mortgage to sort out.
One small thing, the bridge is closed.
Similarproblem, snag, catch, issue, hitch
8
creaturenouncountable
A living being or creature, usually with an adjective of feeling.
The kitten was a tiny wet thing.
Our old dog sleeps most of the day now, the poor thing.
UsageOften in poor thing, you poor thing, or sweet little thing.
Similarcreature, soul, being
9
nouncolloquialcountable
With 'a', a genuine concept, entity, or phenomenon that actually exists, often contrary to expectation.
Some philosophers say race is not a thing at all.
When did brunch become a thing?
UsageKeep a: is that a thing?, it became a thing. With the, the meaning changes.
Similarphenomenon
Note
A 1993 radio broadcast already uses it, and in 2014 philosophers cite frequent claims that race "is not a thing." Switch to the and the meaning shifts to the central point.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
A 1993 radio broadcast uses this sense of 'a thing'. en.wiktionary.org

Less common meanings

10
obsessionnouncolloquialcountable
A strong liking or attraction, or an unusual dislike or preoccupation, usually in the phrases have a thing for or have a thing about.
Everyone knew he'd had a thing for her since high school.
My grandfather had a real thing about people being late.
UsageA thing for someone is an attraction; a thing about something is usually a fixation or dislike.
Note
The preposition carries the meaning. Having a thing for someone is a crush or a long-held attraction; having a thing about something is usually a fixation, a pet peeve or an odd dislike. The first sits close to a romantic relationship but does not imply reciprocity: a thing for her is not a thing with her.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
Having a thing for someone does not imply reciprocity; the attraction can be mutual. penguinrandomhouse.com
11
your tastenouncolloquialcountable
A personal preference, used with a possessive and chiefly in the negative.
The internet isn't my thing, I'd rather phone.
Camping was never his thing.
UsageMost common as not my thing or not really my thing.
Similarscene, style, bag
12
customnouncolloquialcountable
A custom or practice.
Taking shoes off at the door is a family thing for us.
Long lunches are a Spanish thing.
UsageUsually after a group word: a family thing, an American thing.
Similarcustom, tradition, practice, habit
13
whole businessnouncountable
Used after a noun to refer dismissively to the situation surrounding what it names.
Can we skip the whole birthday thing this year?
He never mentions the divorce thing.
UsageUse the/this/that + noun + thing: the birthday thing, that vision thing. You can add whole: the whole birthday thing.
Similarbusiness, affair, matter, issue
14
your own waynouncolloquialcountable
One's typical routine, habits, or manner, used with 'do' and a possessive.
I'm here doing my thing, same as always.
She lets the children do their thing on Saturdays.
UsageIn the set phrase do your thing: let them do their thing.
15
romancenouncolloquialcountable
A romantic or sexual relationship, especially an informal or undeclared one; two people who are a thing are a couple.
Is there a thing between those two?
It was a summer thing, nothing more.
UsageUsually be a thing (be a couple) or have a thing with someone.
Similarfling, romance, affair
16
containernouncolloquialcountable
A single unit, package, or container, usually of food or other consumable goods.
Grab a thing of milk while you're out.
Two things of yogurt are in the fridge.
UsageUsed as a thing of + food or drink: a thing of milk, two things of yogurt.
Similarcarton, container, pack, tub
17
genitals (shy word)nounslangeuphemisticcountable
A person's genitals, especially the penis, referred to euphemistically.
He covered his thing with both hands and ran.
When potty-training her son, she taught him to point his thing down into the toilet.
UsageSounds coy or childish; plain and medical contexts call for the anatomical word.
Note
A euphemism that works by naming nothing: the vaguest noun in the language stands in for a word the speaker avoids. Burroughs uses it in Naked Lunch to comic effect, setting "a thrilling thing" against a far cruder word. It can name the female parts in the same coy way.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Burroughs wrote Naked Lunch. en.wikipedia.org
Naked Lunch contains “a thrilling thing” as a euphemism for the penis, contrasted with “gash”. en.wiktionary.org
18
in fashion (old)noundated
The latest fad or fashion, used with 'the'.
Sea bathing was the thing that summer.
To go to bed late, to rise late, to breakfast late, to dine late, and to visit late, is to be “quite the thing,” or in good English, which you may understand better than the first phrase, to be in the fashion.
1802, Anne Ormsby, "Memoirs of a Family in Swisserland"
Similarrage, fashion, craze, fad, vogue
Note
Fashion's name for whatever everyone is doing, and it always takes the definite article: the thing, quite the thing, the thing to do. A passage in Anne Ormsby's Memoirs of a Family in Swisserland (1802) glosses "quite the thing" as simply "in the fashion," and a 2002 history of 1920s Paris still uses the frame. It now sounds somewhat dated. Keep it apart from a thing, with the indefinite article, which asks whether something exists at all.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
A history concerning 1920s Paris uses the same construction. en.wiktionary.org
19
noundialectalMulticultural London Englishcountable
In Multicultural London English (also spelled ting), a girl or young woman, especially an attractive one or one's girlfriend.
Bruv, who's that thing you were chatting to outside the chicken shop?
He's been linking his new thing from Croydon every weekend.
Note
Belongs to Multicultural London English, where calling a woman a thing praises her looks rather than slighting her. It travels with other slang of that speech, such as nyash, and is usually said about someone in the third person, not to her face. It is often spelled ting. Outside that register it sounds crude and objectifying, so it is safer to recognize than to borrow.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
The girl or attractive-woman sense belongs to Multicultural London English. en.wiktionary.org
Nyash also belongs to Multicultural London English vocabulary. en.wiktionary.org
Ting is an attested spelling for this sense. en.wiktionary.org
20
assemblynounhistoricalcountable
Chiefly in historical use, a public assembly or judicial council in a Germanic country.
Disputes were settled at the thing, not by the sword.
All Icelandic things were skap-thing, meaning that they were governed by established procedure and met at regular legally designated intevals at predetermined meeting places.
1988, Jesse L. Byock, Medieval Iceland: Society
Similarassembly, council, moot
Note
A word from early Germanic law and government, used today mainly by historians of medieval Iceland. Icelandic assemblies met at fixed places and regular intervals, and men arrived fully armed. Historians writing in English often keep related Icelandic terms untranslated, such as skap-thing and thing-fararkaup. In English it is usually lowercase and takes an ordinary plural: the thing, all Icelandic things.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
Thing denotes an assembly or judicial council in early Germanic society. en.wikipedia.org
Icelandic assemblies met at predetermined places and regular intervals. viking.ucla.edu
Men attended Icelandic assemblies fully armed. en.wiktionary.org
Both lowercase thing and capitalized Thing occur in English. en.wiktionary.org
21
noun
In law, whatever can be owned; property.
22
noun
In law, a corporeal object, as distinct from a right or an abstraction.
23
verbrare
To express as a concrete entity; to reify.

Practice

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Origin

Old English þing, which goes back to Proto-Germanic, became Middle English thing. Dutch ding, German Ding, and Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ting are relatives. An early sense was "assembly," which shifted to a particular matter discussed at an assembly and finally, in the widest sense, to "an object." Latin shows the same pattern: rēs meant both "thing" and "legal matter," and causa moved from "legal matter" to "thing" in the Romance languages.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 8 facts

Old English þing derives from Proto-Germanic. en.wiktionary.org
Old English þing became Middle English thing. en.wiktionary.org
Dutch ding, German Ding, and Swedish, Danish and Norwegian ting are cognates. en.wikipedia.org
The meaning developed from assembly through an issue discussed there to object. en.wiktionary.org
Latin rēs meant thing. en.wiktionary.org
Latin rēs also meant a legal matter. logeion.uchicago.edu
Latin causa meant a legal matter. en.wiktionary.org
Latin causa developed the meaning thing in the transition to Romance. en.wikipedia.org