shouldn't
Americancontraction
Usage
See contraction, ought 1.
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.
"What makes Steve human is conflict within yourself - he has something he really wants, which is something he shouldn't do, and that's a great conflict when you're acting."
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
On paper, Maddy shouldn’t have been a particularly remarkable character.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2026
We argued that the government shouldn’t be allowed to punish American citizens while forbidding them from publicly disputing the accusations, aside from grave matters of national security.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
Why, then, does not liking Olive Garden feel incompatible with being a foodie — and so incompatible that it shouldn’t even be mentioned by name?
From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when Red went into The Woods, but it was getting cold and dark.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
