mind
Americannoun
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minds
plural
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(in a human or other conscious being) the element, part, substance, or process that reasons, thinks, feels, wills, perceives, judges, etc..
the processes of the human mind.
- Synonyms:
- reason
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Psychology. the totality of conscious and unconscious mental processes and activities.
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intellect or understanding, as distinguished from the faculties of feeling and willing; intelligence.
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a particular instance of the intellect or intelligence, as in a person.
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a person considered with reference to intellectual power.
the greatest minds of the twentieth century.
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intellectual power or ability.
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reason, sanity, or sound mental condition.
to lose one's mind.
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a way of thinking and feeling; disposition; temper.
a liberal mind.
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a state of awareness or remembrance.
The poem puts me in mind of experiences both new and forgotten.
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opinion, view, or sentiments.
to change one's mind.
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inclination or desire.
to be of a mind to listen.
- Synonyms:
- intent
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purpose, intention, or will.
Let me know your mind in this matter before Tuesday.
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psychic or spiritual being, as opposed to matter.
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a conscious or intelligent agency or being.
an awareness of a mind ordering the universe.
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remembrance or recollection; memory.
Former days were called to mind.
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He can't keep his mind on his studies.
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Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. notice; attention.
When he's like that, just pay him no mind.
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Roman Catholic Church. a commemoration of a person's death, especially by a Requiem Mass.
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Also called Divine Mind. (initial capital letter) God; the incorporeal source of life, substance, and intelligence.
verb (used with object)
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minds,
present (3rd person singular)
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minded,
past participle, past
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minding
present participle
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to pay attention to.
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to heed or obey (a person, advice, instructions, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- mark
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to apply oneself or attend to.
to mind one's own business.
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to look after; take care of; tend.
to mind the baby.
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to be careful, cautious, or wary about.
Mind what you say.
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to feel concern at; care about.
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to feel disturbed or inconvenienced by; object to (usually used in negative or interrogative constructions).
Would you mind handing me that book?
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to regard as concerning oneself or as mattering.
Don't mind his bluntness.
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Dialect.
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to perceive or notice.
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to remember.
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to remind.
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verb (used without object)
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minds,
present (3rd person singular)
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minded,
past participle, past
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minding
present participle
-
to pay attention.
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to obey.
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to take notice, observe, or understand (used chiefly in the imperative).
Mind now, I want you home by twelve.
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to be careful or wary.
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to care, feel concern, or object (often used in negative or interrogative constructions).
Mind if I go? Don't mind if I do.
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to regard a thing as concerning oneself or as mattering.
You mustn't mind about their gossiping.
idioms
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out of one's mind,
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mad; insane.
You must be out of your mind to say such a ridiculous thing.
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totally distracted.
He's out of his mind with worry.
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emotionally overwhelmed.
out of her mind with joy.
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presence of mind, ability to think and to remain in control of oneself during a crisis or under stress.
She had enough presence of mind to remember the license plate of the speeding car.
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make up one's mind, to decide; form an opinion or decision; resolve.
He couldn't make up his mind which course to follow.
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give someone a piece of one's mind, to rebuke, reprimand, or scold sharply.
I'll give him a piece of my mind for telling such a lie!
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have a good mind to, to feel tempted or inclined to.
I have a good mind to leave you here all alone.
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bear / keep in mind, to remember.
Bear in mind that the newspaper account may be in error.
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know one's own mind, to be firm in one's intentions, opinions, or plans; have assurance.
She may be only a child, but she knows her own mind.
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cross one's mind, to occur suddenly to one.
A disturbing thought crossed her mind.
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meeting of minds, complete agreement; accord.
A meeting of minds between the union and the employer seemed impossible.
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frame of mind. see frame of mind.
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never mind, don't worry or be troubled; it is of no concern.
Never mind—the broken glass will be easy to replace.
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blow one's mind,
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to change one's perceptions, awareness, etc., as through the use of drugs or narcotics.
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to overwhelm a person with intense excitement, pleasure, astonishment, or dismay.
Cool jazz really blows my mind.
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have half a mind to, to be almost decided to; be inclined to.
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on one's mind, constantly in one's thoughts; of concern to one.
The approaching trial was on his mind.
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state of mind. see state of mind.
noun
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the human faculty to which are ascribed thought, feeling, etc; often regarded as an immaterial part of a person
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intelligence or the intellect, esp as opposed to feelings or wishes
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recollection or remembrance; memory
it comes to mind
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the faculty of original or creative thought; imagination
it's all in the mind
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a person considered as an intellectual being
the great minds of the past
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opinion or sentiment
we are of the same mind
to change one's mind
to have a mind of one's own
to know one's mind
to speak one's mind
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condition, state, or manner of feeling or thought
no peace of mind
his state of mind
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an inclination, desire, or purpose
I have a mind to go
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attention or thoughts
keep your mind on your work
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a sound mental state; sanity (esp in the phrase out of one's mind )
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intelligence, as opposed to material things
the mind of the universe
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(in Cartesian philosophy) one of two basic modes of existence, the other being matter
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slang
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to cause someone to have a psychedelic experience
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to astound or surprise someone
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to criticize or censure (someone) frankly or vehemently
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undecided; wavering
he was in two minds about marriage
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to decide (something or to do something)
he made up his mind to go
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in one's thoughts
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to remind (one) of
verb
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to take offence at
do you mind if I smoke? I don't mind
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to pay attention to (something); heed; notice
to mind one's own business
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(tr; takes a clause as object) to make certain; ensure
mind you tell her
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(tr) to take care of; have charge of
to mind the shop
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(when tr, may take a clause as object) to be cautious or careful about (something)
mind how you go
mind your step
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(tr) to obey (someone or something); heed
mind your father!
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to be concerned (about); be troubled (about)
never mind your hat
never mind about your hat
never mind
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(tr; passive; takes an infinitive) to be intending or inclined (to do something)
clearly he was not minded to finish the story
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dialect (tr) to remember
do ye mind his name?
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(tr) to remind
that minds me of another story
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an expression qualifying a previous statement
Dogs are nice. Mind you, I don't like all dogs
Synonym Usage
Mind, intellect, intelligence refer to mental equipment or qualities. Mind is that part of a human being that thinks, feels, and wills, as contrasted with body: His mind was capable of grasping the significance of the problem. Intellect is reasoning power as distinguished from feeling; it is often used in a general sense to characterize high mental ability: to appeal to the intellect, rather than the emotions. Intelligence is ability to learn and to understand; it is also mental alertness or quickness of understanding: A dog has more intelligence than many other animals. Mind, brain, brains may refer to mental capacity. Mind is the philosophical and general term for the center of mental activity, and is therefore used of intellectual powers: a brilliant mind. Brain is properly the physiological term for the organic structure that makes mental activity possible ( The brain is the center of the nervous system. ), but it is often applied, like mind, to intellectual capacity: a fertile brain. Brains is the anatomical word ( the brains of an animal used for food ), but, in popular usage, it is applied to intelligence (particularly of a shrewd, practical nature): To run a business takes brains.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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mindsimple
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mindssimple
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have mindedperfect
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has mindedperfect
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am mindingprogressive
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are mindingprogressive
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is mindingprogressive
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have been mindingperfect progressive
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has been mindingperfect progressive
Past
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mindedsimple
-
had mindedperfect
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was mindingprogressive
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were mindingprogressive
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had been mindingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mind
First recorded before 900; Middle English noun minde, miende, mende, Old English gemynd “memory, remembrance, mind”; cognate with Gothic gamunds; akin to Latin mēns (stem ment- ) “mind,” Greek manía “madness”; verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
Your mind is where your thinking happens. If you've made up your mind, you've come to a decision. Mind can also mean "pay attention to" or "watch." If someone tells you to "mind your manners," they want you to be polite. If you tell them to "mind their own business," maybe they'll leave you alone. When I ask, "Would you mind if I open a window?" I'm asking if this would bother you.
Vocabulary lists containing mind
"Raymond's Run"
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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"Dragon, Dragon"
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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:
As frontotemporal dementia degrades social awareness, loved ones and neuroscientists confront the heartbreaking boundary between a changing mind and the enduring self.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
My mind flashed to the moment in “Something’s Gotta Give” when Harry says, “Erica, you are a woman to love.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Tuchel said he felt "support from all my bosses" at the tournament and "there was never a doubt in my mind or their mind that we will continue together".
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
With those concerns top of mind, analysts at the firm on Friday downgraded shares of the streaming giant to underweight — the rough equivalent of a sell rating — from equal weight.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
Getting up, I splash more cold water on my face, a plan taking shape in my mind.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
I have eavesdropped on other patients just losing their minds, saying this is absolutely ridiculous.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Scanning the newspaper, inky fingers and fuzzled minds, scrambling for the calculator and jotting down the codes for Julian Dicks and Juninho.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Also, the phones take people’s minds off what’s going on onstage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
The models seemed, almost, to have minds of their own, and they were so easy to use that the potential for abuse was dire.
From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026
“Dark is not ugly. Get that out of your minds right now.”
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
The audience instantly understands that this is Schoenbrun riffing on their own intellectually minded approach, and that Kris is a self-insert character for the movie’s writer-director.
From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026
The Bioloon is the result of a public-private partnership launched by Charlotte Melia, an events entrepreneur, who describes herself as environmentally minded.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
But he was limited to just seven starts in the Premier League last season, and is now minded to leave the club after joining for a £30m fee in 2024 from French club Troyes.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
On balance, Gave is minded to forecast the yen’s depreciating days may be ending.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
I don’t think any kid at my old school—even the troublemakers—would’ve minded a sky-blue-painted school with bright lights and clean hallways.
From "Ghost Boys" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
It’s about gratitude and respect for you and your husband, especially given that you do so much for your daughter, including minding her own daughter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
A related worry is that all this minding the social consequences of our choices can lead to virtue signaling.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
“He wasn’t minding the shop” as state attorney general, Mahan said, pointing to fraudulent unemployment and hospice claims early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
Who knows if they’ll be minding the store at all?
From Salon ● Jan. 6, 2026
But even the best software isn’t smart enough to assign trees reliably, so writers cannot offload the task of minding the tree onto their word processors.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
