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thought

SayTHAWT/θɔt/UK/θɔːt/

Noun pluralthoughts

8 meanings of thought

Practice

  1. 1
    verb
    Simple past and past participle of think.

    They thought hard before settling on a final answer.

    I thought you were coming over tomorrow, not today.

    UsageOne form for both uses: I thought, I have thought (not incorrect: I thinked).

    Note

    In I thought I'd come over, the past tense softens a present intention rather than reporting an earlier belief.

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    An idea or image formed in the mind, rather than something perceived through the senses; an instance of thinking.

    A sudden thought struck him as he locked the front door.

    She jotted down every thought that came to her during the lecture.

    UsageOften the thought of + noun or -ing: I hate the thought of going back.

    Similaridea, notion, reflection, musing

  3. 3
    reasoningnoununcountable
    The mental process by which ideas arise and are worked out; the means by which thinking is accomplished.

    Language shapes the way human thought develops over a lifetime.

    Lack of sleep slows thought and makes simple decisions feel hard.

    UsageCommon in lost in thought, deep in thought and freedom of thought.

    Similarthinking

    Note

    Roy Porter's Flesh in the Age of Reason (2003) describes a modern outlook summed up as "we don't think our thoughts, they think us." In that picture the process of thinking drives the thinker, not the other way round.

    Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

    • Roy Porter wrote Flesh in the Age of Reason. openlibrary.org
    • Flesh in the Age of Reason was first published in 2003. openlibrary.org
    • The quoted wording appears in Porter's book and summarizes an outlook he describes. en.wiktionary.org
    • In the outlook described, thoughts determine the thinker rather than being freely controlled by the thinker. en.wiktionary.org
  4. 4
    noununcountable
    Careful consideration of the various factors involved in something; deliberation.

    The committee gave the proposal serious thought before voting.

    After much thought, he decided to accept the job offer.

    UsageUsually give something thought or put thought into it; also after much thought.

    Similarreflection, deliberation, contemplation, meditation, pondering

  5. 5
    body of ideasnoununcountable
    A body of ideas or way of thinking associated with a particular person, group, period, place, or subject.

    Medieval thought was deeply shaped by the church and its teachings.

    Feminist thought challenged many long-held assumptions about society.

    UsageUsually after a place, period or group word: Greek thought, feminist thought.

    Similarthinking, philosophy, ideas, theory

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    tiny bitnouncountable or uncountable
    A very small amount, degree, or distance; a whit or jot.

    The soup needs a thought more salt to taste right.

    She stood a thought taller than her younger sister.

    UsageUsually a thought before a comparative or too: a thought taller, a thought too high.

    Similartouch, tad, trifle, bit, shade

    Note

    A small-measure noun that works almost like an adverb: a thought taller, a thought too much, a thought out of your way. John Buchan's The Outgoing of the Tide (1902) uses it this last way. It nudges the meaning by a hair rather than measuring anything.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

    • John Buchan wrote The Outgoing of the Tide, first published in 1902. en.wikipedia.org
    • The story uses the expression a thought out of your way. gutenberg.org
  2. 7
    nouncountable or uncountable
    Sympathetic regard for others that shows in remembering what they feel, what they need, or what troubles them.

    Spare a thought for the nurses working through the holiday weekend.

    The host showed real thought for her guests, setting aside a quiet room for anyone with small children.

    UsageUsually for the person: spare a thought for the nurses. Set phrases: it's the thought that counts, our thoughts are with you.

    Similarconsideration, concern

  3. 8
    noundialectal
    Worry, anxiety, or mental distress.
    Which of you by taking thought, can adde one cubite vnto his ſtature?
    1611, The Holy Bible, King James Version

thought is a form of think

think, verb: To be of the opinion that; to consider or regard as. Full entry

Forms
thinkthinks he/she/itthinking -ing formthought past tense, past participle
Spelling
think → thought: irregular (no -ed)

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of thought apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From Middle English thought, from Old English þōht, ġeþōht, which traces back through Proto-West Germanic and Proto-Germanic forms to the Proto-Indo-European root *teng- ("to think"). It is related to the words "thank" and "think," with cognates including Dutch gedachte and German Andacht.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts