should

[ shood ]

auxiliary verb

1. must; ought (used to indicate duty, propriety, or expediency):

   You should not do that.

   All of this is irresponsible alarmism and should be dismissed as such.

2. (used to express an expectation):

   They should arrive around dinner time.

   The paper you need should be in the drawer.

3. (used to express a correction):

   In your first sentence, that semicolon should be a comma.

4. (used to express a potential future event or condition):

   Were he to arrive, I should be pleased.

5. would (used to make a statement less direct or blunt):

   I should think you would apologize.

6. simple past tense of shall.

noun

1. a demand or requirement; something a person must or ought to do:

   Placing too many shoulds or unrealistic expectations on yourself can contribute to stress.

   It’s hard to find joy anymore with all these oughts and shoulds.

should

/ ʃʊd /

verb

1. the past tense of shall : used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that an action is considered by the speaker to be obligatory ( you should go ) or to form the subjunctive mood with I or we ( I should like to see you; if I should be late, go without me ) See also shall

Usage

Should has, as its most common meaning in modern English, the sense ought as in I should go to the graduation, but I don't see how I can. However, the older sense of the subjunctive of shall is often used with I or we to indicate a more polite form than would: I should like to go, but I can't. In much speech and writing, should has been replaced by would in contexts of this kind, but it remains in formal English when a conditional subjunctive is used: should he choose to remain, he would be granted asylum

Confusables Note

Rules similar to those for choosing between shall and will have long been advanced for should and would, but again the rules have had little effect on usage. In most constructions, would is the auxiliary chosen regardless of the person of the subject: If our allies would support the move, we would abandon any claim to sovereignty. You would be surprised at the complexity of the directions. Because the main function of should in modern American English is to express duty, necessity, etc. ( You should get your flu shot before winter comes ), its use for other purposes, as to form a subjunctive, can produce ambiguity, at least initially: I should get my flu shot if I were you. Furthermore, should seems an affectation to many Americans when used in certain constructions quite common in British English: Had I been informed, I should (American would ) have called immediately. I should (American would ) really prefer a different arrangement. As with shall and will, most educated native speakers of American English do not follow the textbook rule in making a choice between should and would. shall.

Word History and Origins

Origin of should¹

Middle English sholde, Old English sc(e)olde; shall

Word History and Origins

Origin of should¹

Old English sceold; see shall

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with should , also see (should) get one's head examined .

Synonym Study

See must ¹.

Example Sentences

“I do think this is a loyalty choice — really, the better word we should be using is fealty choice,” Bolton said in a CNN interview.

From Los Angeles Times

Hegseth, who has questioned whether women should be allowed to serve in combat, rails in the book against “diverse recruits, pumped full of vaccines and even more poisonous ideologies.”

From Los Angeles Times

John Bolton, who served in every GOP administration since Ronald Reagan’s and was Trump’s national security advisor in 2018 and 2019, called Trump’s pick of Gaetz “the worst nomination for a Cabinet position in American history,” and one Republicans should oppose.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is something that falls well outside the scope of deference that should be given to a president in nominating members of the senior team,” Bolton said on “Meet the Press Now.”

From Los Angeles Times

Trump in recent days has suggested that the Senate should give him unilateral power to appoint all of his nominees through recess appointments, which do not need Senate approval.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• allow
• become
• consider
• enjoy
• experience
• feel
• know
• leave
• need
• permit
• see
• suffer
• undergo