though

American  

[thoh] / ðoʊ /

conjunction

1. (used in introducing a subordinate clause, which is often marked by ellipsis) notwithstanding that; in spite of the fact that; although.

   Though he tried very hard, he failed the course.

2. even if; granting that (often preceded byeven ).

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adverb

1. for all that; however.

idioms

1. as though, as if.

   It seems as though the place is deserted.

though British  

/ ðəʊ /

conjunction

1. (sometimes preceded by even) despite the fact that

   though he tries hard, he always fails

   poor though she is, her life is happy

2. as if

   he looked as though he'd seen a ghost

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adverb

1. nevertheless; however

   he can't dance: he sings well, though

though More Idioms  

1. see as if (though).

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Commonly Confused

Among some conservatives there is a traditional objection to the use of though in place of although as a conjunction. However, the latter (earlier all though ) was originally an emphatic form of the former, and there is nothing in contemporary English usage to justify such a distinction.

Etymology

Origin of though

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English thoh, from Old Norse thō; replacing Old English thēah; cognate with German doch, Gothic thauh

Explanation

Though is fine conjunction. It's no "but" or "however", though it is a useful word, when you want let a reader know that two ideas are opposing one another. There are two basic kinds of the so-called coordinating conjunctions: those that connect similar thoughts — for example, "and" — and those that disconnect similar thoughts — for instance, "but" and "however." Though fits into the second category. For example "Though Prince is considered 'older' by rock-star standards, his concerts put those of most kids half his age to shame." The "though" in that sentence gets its power from the comma at the midpoint, because that's where the two opposing ideas meet. The word Though at the beginning tells us to look for that comma.

Example Sentences

A reboot of talks could be on the horizon though, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that “regional countries” are working to bring the U.S. and Iran back together to reach a deal.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Last year, he co-founded Offline, a company that matches marketers with offline groups and helps them assess returns though metrics such as check-ins and attendees’ total social reach.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

There’s a scene in the 1981 Bill Murray film Stripes where a solider introduces himself to his colleagues as “Psycho,” though his real name is Francis.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

"Even though he has caught Nick he hasn't caught Vardon. There's always another level to reach and I think he has reset his goals in that regard."

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026

I nodded and told him it was fine, even though it wasn’t.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• although
• even if
• even though
• yet