think
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to have a conscious mind, to some extent of reasoning, remembering experiences, making rational decisions, etc.
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to employ one's mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation.
Think carefully before you begin.
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to have a certain thing as the subject of one's thoughts.
I was thinking about you. We could think of nothing else.
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to call something to one's conscious mind.
I couldn't think of his phone number.
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to consider something as a possible action, choice, etc..
She thought about cutting her hair.
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to invent or conceive of something.
We thought of a new plan.
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to have consideration or regard for someone.
Think of others first.
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to esteem a person or thing as indicated.
to think badly of someone.
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to have a belief or opinion as indicated.
I think so.
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(of a device or machine, especially a computer) to use artificial intelligence to perform an activity analogous to human thought.
verb (used with object)
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to have or form in the mind as an idea, conception, etc.
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to have or form in the mind in order to understand, know, or remember something else.
Romantic comedy is all about chemistry: think Tracy and Hepburn. Can't guess? Here's a hint: think 19th century.
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to consider for evaluation or for possible action upon.
Think the deal over.
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to regard as specified.
He thought me unkind.
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to believe to be true of someone or something.
to think evil of the neighbors.
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to analyze or evolve rationally.
to think the problem out.
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to have as a plan or intention.
I thought that I would go.
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to anticipate or expect.
I did not think to find you here.
adjective
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of or relating to thinking or thought.
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Informal. stimulating or challenging to the intellect or mind.
the think book of the year.
noun
verb phrase
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think of
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to conceive of; imagine.
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to have an opinion or judgment of.
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to consider; anticipate.
When one thinks of what the future may bring, one is both worried and hopeful.
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think out / through
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to think about until a conclusion is reached; understand or solve by thinking.
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to devise by thinking; contrive.
He thought out a plan for saving time.
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think up to devise or contrive by thinking.
Can you think up an arrangement of furniture for this room?
idioms
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think twice, to weigh carefully before acting; consider.
I would think twice before taking on such a responsibility.
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think fit, to consider advisable or appropriate.
By all means, take a vacation if you think fit.
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think nothing of. nothing.
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think better of, to change one's mind about; reconsider.
She considered emigrating to Australia, but thought better of it.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr; may take a clause as object) to consider, judge, or believe
he thinks my ideas impractical
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to exercise the mind as in order to make a decision; ponder
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(intr) to be capable of conscious thought
man is the only animal that thinks
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to remember; recollect
I can't think what his name is
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to make the mental choice (of)
think of a number
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive)
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to expect; suppose
I didn't think to see you here
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to be considerate or aware enough (to do something)
he did not think to thank them
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to consider; regard
she thinks of herself as a poet
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(intr) to focus the attention on being
think thin
think big
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(tr) to bring into or out of a specified condition by thinking
to think away one's fears
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slang a phrase added to an ironical statement
you're the paragon of virtue, I don't think
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to reconsider one's decision, opinion, etc
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to change one's mind about (a course of action, decision, etc)
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to have a more favourable opinion of (a person)
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(usually negative) to have a high opinion of
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to regard as routine, easy, or natural
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to have no compunction or hesitation about
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to have a very low opinion of
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to consider carefully before deciding (about something)
noun
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informal a careful, open-minded assessment
let's have a fresh think about this problem
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informal (modifier) characterized by or involving thinkers, thinking, or thought
a think session
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slang you are mistaken and will soon have to alter your opinion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of think1
First recorded before 900; Middle English thinken, variant of thenken, Old English thencan; cognate with Dutch, German denken, Old Norse thekkja, Gothic thagkjan; akin to Latin tongēre “to know” and thank
Origin of think2
First recorded before 900; Middle English thinken “to present the appearance of, seem,” Old English thyncan “to seem”; cognate with Dutch dunken, German dünken, Old Norse thykkja, Gothic thugkjan
Explanation
To think is to have an idea, belief, or thought about something. If you think that your parents are unusually strict, it means that you believe that to be true. The verb think means to reason, consider, or mull over. If you think for a while before you decide whether or not to get in your friend's car, it means that you're contemplating the situation before you act. If you think that people shouldn't eat animals, it means that you hold that opinion. If you think up a new, delicious way to cook broccoli, it means that you've invented or conceived of a great cooking method.
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:
I think this is where the detector is most likely to totally miss an LLM’s help.
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
"He is a very unique player with unbelievable qualities that I don't think are easy to replicate," Root said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
While there was initial pushback to the idea, considering that teachers had used the TI ecosystem for more than 15 years, “we really have to think about what’s best for the students,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
He’s far stronger than people think, bench-pressing 275 pounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
“Do you think the marches made a difference—I mean in a big way. Did it make things better? Or about the same?”
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Early in 2025, I’d been thinking about the 20th anniversary of the show and how to celebrate it, but a movie is a huge project, one I was wary of committing to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Here, they’d been thinking their chief client was the American people.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
"I go to bed and wake up thinking about how I'm going to pay," Claudia Debaste told AFP, referring to her credit card bill.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
It is claimed that while in the garden he observed an apple falling from a tree that led to him thinking about the theory of gravity, which he described in his 1687 book Principia.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The real sin lay in thinking that any power to help and transform came from me.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
When you catch yourself in a negative thought pattern, stop and say, “There is nothing for me to do about this.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
There is a school of thought that says responding too quickly to interest from a potential employer could make job seekers seem desperate, reducing their chances of getting hired.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
“I’ve always thought that comedy and joking is something that is joyful and light, but almost always has a hint of the truth in it,” she added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"I thought it was fun, it was special, it was good," Serena said.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Selecting a chair from the pile, she turned toward the river, or at least she thought she did.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
