thought

¹ American  

[thawt] / θɔt /

noun

• thoughts
  plural

1. the product of mental activity; that which one thinks.

   a body of thought.

2. a single act or product of thinking; idea or notion.

   to collect one's thoughts.

3. the act or process of thinking; mental activity.

   Thought as well as action wearies us.

   Synonyms:

   cogitation, reflection, deliberation, rumination, meditation

4. the capacity or faculty of thinking, reasoning, imagining, etc..

   All her thought went into her work.

5. a consideration or reflection.

   Thought of death terrified her.

6. meditation, contemplation, or recollection.

   deep in thought.

7. intention, design, or purpose, especially a half-formed or imperfect intention.

   We had some thought of going.

8. anticipation or expectation.

   I had no thought of seeing you here.

9. consideration, attention, care, or regard.

   She took no thought of her appearance.

10. a judgment, opinion, or belief.

    According to his thought, all violence is evil.

11. the intellectual activity or the ideas, opinions, etc., characteristic of a particular place, class, or time.

    Greek thought.

12. a very small amount; a touch; bit; trifle.

    The steak is a thought underdone.

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thought ² American  

[thawt] / θɔt /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of think.

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thought British  

/ θɔːt /

verb

1. the past tense and past participle of think

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noun

1. the act or process of thinking; deliberation, meditation, or reflection

2. a concept, opinion, or idea

3. philosophical or intellectual ideas typical of a particular time or place

   German thought in the 19th century

4. application of mental attention; consideration

   he gave the matter some thought

5. purpose or intention

   I have no thought of giving up

6. expectation

   no thought of reward

7. a small amount; trifle

   you could be a thought more enthusiastic

8. kindness or regard

   he has no thought for his widowed mother

thought Idioms  

1. see food for thought; lost in thought; on second thought; penny for your thoughts; perish the thought; train of thought. Also see under think.

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Usage

Spelling tips for thought The word thought is hard to spell because it sounds as if it should be spelled [ thawt ]. The combination of letters -ought can be pronounced many different ways (nine to be exact!). How to spell thought: Thinking is hard work. It might make you go "oh! ugh!" (-ough). Add a t to the end and you get thought.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• thoughts
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of thought

First recorded before 900; Middle English thoght, Old English (ge)thōht; cognate with Dutch gedachte; akin to thank, think ¹

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Explanation

Thought is the process of using your mind to consider something. It can also be the product of that process: an idea or just the thing you're thinking about. Thought can also refer to the organized beliefs of a period, individual, or group. If you're writing an essay about the Reformation, you'll probably want to summarize early Catholic thought regarding free will and predestination. This word can also be used to describe a personal belief or judgment you can't prove or be entirely certain of.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

thought thoughts

“I never, ever in my entire life ... thought this would ever happen to me,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

When pushed by the BBC on whether she thought she had met "the one", she laughs and becomes understandably guarded.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Colleges raced to prove they were setting their students up for success after graduation by investing in what was thought to be a sure path to financial stability: the computer-science major.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Mike is Westish’s biggest booster—he coined the school motto, “We Are One”—so it’s a problem that Pella feels antsy at the thought of settling permanently in this pokey college town.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

“I’m surprised you’re not joining the counterprotesters at the Manor. I thought you’d be front and center.”

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Surprisingly, they have not arrived... but as the fall-out continues from the verdict of the independent commission, I'd like to add some further thoughts on the whole saga and ask some questions of my own.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Trying to explain the device, and how her claims of its efficacy were misread by investors and the public, Holmes once again can’t translate her thoughts into words that make sense to Fielder.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

He had no time to linger on such thoughts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Threets detailed sleepwalking episodes he found terrifying, panic attacks he thought were heart attacks and intrusive thoughts tied to his depression and anxiety.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

All year long, his thoughts returned to this song.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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Related Words

• anxiety
• assessment
• belief
• concern
• conclusion
• dream
• expectation
• feeling
• hope
• image
• intention
• judgment
• knowledge
• notion
• opinion
• plan
• prospect
• theory
• thinking
• understanding

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