rethink
Americanverb (used with or without object)
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rethinksimple
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rethinkssimple
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have rethoughtperfect
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has rethoughtperfect
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am rethinkingprogressive
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are rethinkingprogressive
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is rethinkingprogressive
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have been rethinkingperfect progressive
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has been rethinkingperfect progressive
Past
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rethoughtsimple
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had rethoughtperfect
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was rethinkingprogressive
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were rethinkingprogressive
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had been rethinkingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rethink
Explanation
When you rethink, you consider something again, often reaching the opposite conclusion. You'll rethink your decision to go bungee jumping as soon as you're standing at the top of a tall bridge getting ready to jump. You'll have to rethink your usual two A.M. bedtime after you get a new job making donuts at five every morning. A kindergarten teacher might also need to rethink his laid-back teaching style when he's faced with an especially high-energy class. You can also use rethink as a noun: "I need to have a quick rethink about what I'll have for lunch, since the cafeteria is out of French fries."
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.
The loss of the original recording forced Weist to rethink the project.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
Even before news of a possible mobile phone offer, SpaceX’s Starlink business—the provider of satellite internet services which currently has about 12 million subscribers—was making investors rethink Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, and Charter Communications.
From Barron's • Jun. 30, 2026
"This work pushes us to rethink what it means to be conscious," said Sheth.
From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026
The climax to the group stage in Qatar was so exciting that Fifa had a rethink.
From BBC • Jun. 25, 2026
“We need to rethink our Grasshopper plan,” I said.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
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.
