ought
1 Americanauxiliary verb
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(used to express duty or moral obligation).
Every citizen ought to help.
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(used to express justice, moral rightness, or the like).
He ought to be punished. You ought to be ashamed.
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(used to express propriety, appropriateness, etc.).
You ought to be home early. We ought to bring her some flowers.
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(used to express probability or natural consequence).
That ought to be our train now.
noun
noun
verb
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to indicate duty or obligation
you ought to pay your dues
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to express prudent expediency
you ought to be more careful with your money
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(usually with reference to future time) to express probability or expectation
you ought to finish this work by Friday
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to express a desire or wish on the part of the speaker
you ought to come next week
pronoun
noun
Usage
Ought1 forms its negative in a number of ways. Ought not occurs in all types of speech and writing and is fully standard: The conferees ought not to waste time on protocol. Oughtn't, largely a spoken form, is found mainly in the Midland and Southern dialects of the United States, where it is almost the universal form. Hadn't ought is a common spoken form in the Northern dialect area. It is sometimes condemned in usage guides and is uncommon in educated speech except of the most informal variety. Didn't ought and shouldn't ought are considered nonstandard. Both positive and negative forms of ought are almost always followed by the infinitive form: We ought to go now. You ought not to worry about it. Occasionally, to is omitted after the negative construction: Congress ought not adjourn without considering this bill.
In correct English, ought is not used with did or had. I ought not to do it, not I didn't ought to do it ; I ought not to have done it, not I hadn't ought to have done it
Related Words
See must 1.
Etymology
Origin of ought
First recorded before 900; Middle English ought, aught, Old English āhte, past tense of āgan “to owe ”
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.
Pick the art you want to do, not the art you think you ought to do.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
"That ought to be recognised and applauded, however embarrassing or sad this is for many people," Stanley adds.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
"There are countries around the world who ought be prepared to step up on this critical waterway as well. It's not just the United States Navy," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Powerful nations are flouting international law, and somebody ought to stop them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Briefly, Penelope wondered if she ought to find her and tell her that her speech-making services would not be needed after all, but there was no time to go searching.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
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.
