thought
1 Americannoun
-
thoughts
plural
-
the product of mental activity; that which one thinks.
a body of thought.
-
a single act or product of thinking; idea or notion.
to collect one's thoughts.
-
the act or process of thinking; mental activity.
Thought as well as action wearies us.
- Synonyms:
- cogitation, reflection, deliberation, rumination, meditation
-
the capacity or faculty of thinking, reasoning, imagining, etc..
All her thought went into her work.
-
a consideration or reflection.
Thought of death terrified her.
-
meditation, contemplation, or recollection.
deep in thought.
-
intention, design, or purpose, especially a half-formed or imperfect intention.
We had some thought of going.
-
anticipation or expectation.
I had no thought of seeing you here.
-
consideration, attention, care, or regard.
She took no thought of her appearance.
-
a judgment, opinion, or belief.
According to his thought, all violence is evil.
-
the intellectual activity or the ideas, opinions, etc., characteristic of a particular place, class, or time.
Greek thought.
-
a very small amount; a touch; bit; trifle.
The steak is a thought underdone.
verb
verb
noun
-
the act or process of thinking; deliberation, meditation, or reflection
-
a concept, opinion, or idea
-
philosophical or intellectual ideas typical of a particular time or place
German thought in the 19th century
-
application of mental attention; consideration
he gave the matter some thought
-
purpose or intention
I have no thought of giving up
-
expectation
no thought of reward
-
a small amount; trifle
you could be a thought more enthusiastic
-
kindness or regard
he has no thought for his widowed mother
Usage
Spelling tips for thought The word thought is hard to spell because it sounds as if it should be spelled [ thawt ]. The combination of letters -ought can be pronounced many different ways (nine to be exact!). How to spell thought: Thinking is hard work. It might make you go "oh! ugh!" (-ough). Add a t to the end and you get thought.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of thought
First recorded before 900; Middle English thoght, Old English (ge)thōht; cognate with Dutch gedachte; akin to thank, think 1
Explanation
Thought is the process of using your mind to consider something. It can also be the product of that process: an idea or just the thing you're thinking about. Thought can also refer to the organized beliefs of a period, individual, or group. If you're writing an essay about the Reformation, you'll probably want to summarize early Catholic thought regarding free will and predestination. This word can also be used to describe a personal belief or judgment you can't prove or be entirely certain of.
Vocabulary lists containing thought
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.
See Examples For:
Just when critics thought that playing loud characters was his mainstay, he proved them wrong by delivering a mesmerising performance in Khamoshi as a person who could not hear or speak.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
When we catch ourselves in these negative thought patterns, it’s important to remember that our socioeconomic status doesn’t define us.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
“I never thought of myself as a critic, really. And certainly not at that time. I saw myself as a pop writer.”
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
Nav1.7 was long thought to operate primarily in specialized nerve cells that transmit pain signals to the brain.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
“I thought there was something between us, with the game, but then you looked at her and smiled and talked, so I figured that you were into her.”
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In the same way that cognitive behavioral therapy teaches patients to recontextualize their thoughts and feelings to produce different behaviors, writing stand-up requires people to reexamine their struggles and recontextualize them into punch lines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
She launched her “soft sculpture” company, STFD, in 2024 with the intention of transforming her inner thoughts into plush form — no matter how outside the box those ideas may be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
"Our thoughts remain with the family of Hannah Cain at this time."
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
Sympathy is, by its nature, separate from another’s discomfort, thoughts and prayers offered from a distance.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
When Jessica left, I wanted all my mixed-up thoughts about her to leave, too.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
