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.
The result was a profound insight into Verstappen's state of mind.
From BBC
“She’s a bit like Gran,” I told Karl, trying to explain her state of mind to him as best I could.
From Literature
Since I’d been finding myself in various Chinatowns both as a liminal space and a state of mind, I told them I’d claim it, even though it was just as mysterious to me.
From Los Angeles Times
It's an odd mismatch, fed by the star's lyrics, which find him in an unsettled state of mind.
From BBC
“Strip Law,” a new cartoon premiering Friday, finds Netflix in an Adult Swim state of mind, which is to say there was no thought of it being made for everybody.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
