state of mind
Americanidiom
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a person’s mental or emotional condition, especially at a given point in time.
Subtle touches like scratched-out mistakes and underlined words can give us insight into the author’s state of mind while she was writing.
The state of mind or mental stability of the defendant also needs to be taken into consideration.
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a general outlook on life, the world, the future, etc..
Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind.
Marriage is a state of mind and a way of life.
Etymology
Origin of state of mind
First recorded in 1630–40
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.
This is a fertile time for punk rock to come back because it’s a state of mind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
The press conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, was a fascinating window on Putin's state of mind.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
It’s drawn from Ionesco’s “Fragments of a Journal,” and effectively establishes the sad and searching state of mind that torments Berenger, but also his centrality to Ionesco’s tragicomedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Pride is a state of mind, an interest, a wig, a favorite group of friends, a pair of sunglasses, a movie you love or a song you can’t stop playing.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
But just as a scrumptious tarte Philippe will cause the most dreadful tummy ache if eaten in excess, too much optimism can plunge one into the precarious state of mind known as “optoomuchism.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" 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.
