thought
1 Americannoun
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thoughts
plural
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the product of mental activity; that which one thinks.
a body of thought.
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a single act or product of thinking; idea or notion.
to collect one's thoughts.
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the act or process of thinking; mental activity.
Thought as well as action wearies us.
- Synonyms:
- cogitation, reflection, deliberation, rumination, meditation
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the capacity or faculty of thinking, reasoning, imagining, etc..
All her thought went into her work.
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a consideration or reflection.
Thought of death terrified her.
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meditation, contemplation, or recollection.
deep in thought.
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intention, design, or purpose, especially a half-formed or imperfect intention.
We had some thought of going.
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anticipation or expectation.
I had no thought of seeing you here.
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consideration, attention, care, or regard.
She took no thought of her appearance.
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a judgment, opinion, or belief.
According to his thought, all violence is evil.
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the intellectual activity or the ideas, opinions, etc., characteristic of a particular place, class, or time.
Greek thought.
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a very small amount; a touch; bit; trifle.
The steak is a thought underdone.
verb
verb
noun
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the act or process of thinking; deliberation, meditation, or reflection
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a concept, opinion, or idea
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philosophical or intellectual ideas typical of a particular time or place
German thought in the 19th century
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application of mental attention; consideration
he gave the matter some thought
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purpose or intention
I have no thought of giving up
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expectation
no thought of reward
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a small amount; trifle
you could be a thought more enthusiastic
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kindness or regard
he has no thought for his widowed mother
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
Etymology
Origin of thought
First recorded before 900; Middle English thoght, Old English (ge)thōht; cognate with Dutch gedachte; akin to thank, think 1
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.
Vocabulary lists containing thought
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
However, Meeks believes that it may be more difficult than investors originally thought for Cerebras to ramp up capacity and deliver solutions at scale.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
"We initially thought the kidney-protective effects of SGLT2 inhibitors might counterbalance the potential harms associated with DCCBs," said Dr. Agur.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 18, 2026
Harrison thought he had the animal cornered between two cars at one point, but no such luck — it slipped away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
In an Instagram post published on Monday, Grasso said her doctor first mentioned that she could have been misdiagnosed last year, but she "thought there's no way".
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
“I thought you were here on a date with Dara,” I say, not sure how to say the rest.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
I’d appreciate some thoughts on the best approach to Roth conversions.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
What are your thoughts about artificial intelligence versus human creativity?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"Nicolas, Mathilde, you loved each other, we loved you. Immense sadness and shock. My thoughts are with your families," Oscar-winning French actor Jean Dujardin, who starred in the "OSS 117" movies said on social media.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
“My thoughts were a blur, but I’d spent my life trusting that others had my best interests at heart,” she wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
In fact, it was exactly that—the perfect quiet of his cottage—that pulled him out of these thoughts.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
