Advertisement
Advertisement
should
[ shood ]
auxiliary verb
- must; ought (used to indicate duty, propriety, or expediency):
You should not do that.
All of this is irresponsible alarmism and should be dismissed as such.
- (used to express an expectation):
They should arrive around dinner time.
The paper you need should be in the drawer.
- (used to express a correction):
In your first sentence, that semicolon should be a comma.
- (used to express a potential future event or condition):
Were he to arrive, I should be pleased.
- would (used to make a statement less direct or blunt):
I should think you would apologize.
- simple past tense of shall.
noun
- a demand or requirement; something a person must or ought to do:
Placing too many shoulds or unrealistic expectations on yourself can contribute to stress.
It’s hard to find joy anymore with all these oughts and shoulds.
should
/ ʃʊd /
verb
- the past tense of shall : used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that an action is considered by the speaker to be obligatory ( you should go ) or to form the subjunctive mood with I or we ( I should like to see you; if I should be late, go without me ) See also shall
Usage
Confusables Note
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of should1
Idioms and Phrases
In addition to the idiom beginning with should , also see (should) get one's head examined .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Another tweet showing him asking constituents at an agricultural show whether they believe the Senedd should be abolished upset some Tories, who officially back devolution.
Mr Read said he believed the police should be treating his brother's death as a murder investigation.
"Someone with his skill level should never doubt themselves wherever they are in the world," said Stokes.
They're on a winless run now but none of their supporters should worry all that much.
But Stuart McIntosh, chairman of the group leading the CMA probe, said the deal is "likely to boost competition in the UK mobile sector and should be allowed to proceed - but only if Vodafone and Three agree to implement our proposed measures".
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse