- [countable] something that you think of or remember
- thought of doing something I couldn't bear the thought of waiting any longer.
- thought of something/somebody The very thought of it makes me feel sick.
- thought of somebody/something doing something I don't like the thought of you walking home alone.
- thought (that)… She was struck by the sudden thought that he might already have left.
- thought on something Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic.
- I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject.
- thought about something He shared his thoughts about the future of technology.
- at the thought of something He shuddered at the thought of going to the dentist.
- He often expresses his thoughts on Twitter.
- I've just had a thought (= an idea).
- Would Mark be able to help? It's just a thought.
- ‘Why don't you try the other key?’ ‘That's a thought!’
- Just then a worrying thought came to me.
- Suddenly a thought struck him—he didn't even know her name.
- I must admit, the thought crossed my mind too.
- Negative thoughts can be a symptom of depression.
Extra Examples- All kinds of thoughts raced through my mind.
- An image of his boss came into his mind, but he brushed the thought aside.
- Before going on stage, I breathe deeply and think positive thoughts.
- Do you have any final thoughts?
- He lay there thinking gloomy thoughts about life and death.
- He remained aloof, thinking his own thoughts.
- The children were overjoyed at the thought of going to the seaside on holiday.
- She said she couldn't bear the thought of living alone in the house.
- The mere thought of lice makes my head itch.
- It was a comforting thought that at least her father hadn't suffered.
- The thought crossed my mind that Jim might know the answer.
- My immediate thought was that he must be joking.
- Such a thought never entered my head.
- This is hardly an original thought.
- He had expressed suicidal thoughts prior to his arrest.
- She tried to put the thought out of her mind.
- This was a very disturbing thought.
- What a horrible thought!
- Let me share a few random thoughts with you.
- He's not the kind of man to keep his thoughts to himself.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- comforting
- good
- happy
- …
- have
- think
- have
- …
- come into somebody’s head
- come into somebody’s mind
- come to somebody
- …
- thought about
- thought of
- thought on
- …
- just a thought
- keep your thoughts to yourself
- the mere thought of something
- …
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- thoughts[plural] a person’s mind and all the ideas that they have in it when they are thinking
- This is the time of year when our thoughts turn to summer holidays.
- in somebody's thoughts You are always in my thoughts.
Extra Examples- He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
- Her thoughts drifted back to that night.
- I tried to turn my thoughts to pleasanter things.
- She occupied all his waking thoughts.
- She often seems to know what I'm thinking, as though she can read my thoughts.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- modern
- 19th-century
- etc.
- …
- crime
- police
- a school of thought
- a strand of thought
- [uncountable] the act of thinking seriously and carefully about something synonym consideration
- I've given the matter careful thought.
- We need to put some thought into how to solve this problem.
- Not enough thought has gone into this essay.
- without thought They had acted rashly, without thought.
Extra Examples- After a moment's thought, I accepted his offer.
- He gave little thought to the impact of his actions on his family.
- He was so upset, he was incapable of coherent thought.
- I couldn't see what thought processes led him to that conclusion.
- My job is so repetitive, it does not require much conscious thought.
- The article was intended to provoke thought.
- You should give the offer serious thought.
- I don't think he's given the matter a moment's thought.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- careful
- proper
- serious
- …
- give somebody/something
- spare (somebody)
- direct
- …
- go into something
- pattern
- process
- experiment
- …
- without thought
- after a moment’s thought
- freedom of thought
- a line of thought
- …
- [uncountable] the power or process of thinking
- A good teacher encourages independence of thought.
- She was lost in thought (= concentrating so much on her thoughts that she was not aware of her surroundings).
Extra Examples- She is known for her deep thought and intellectual ways.
- She was deep in thought and didn't hear me call her.
- That line of thought can only lead to one conclusion.
- The constitution guarantees freedom of thought and belief.
- They accused their opponents of being ‘politically correct thought police’.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- careful
- proper
- serious
- …
- give somebody/something
- spare (somebody)
- direct
- …
- go into something
- pattern
- process
- experiment
- …
- without thought
- after a moment’s thought
- freedom of thought
- a line of thought
- …
- [countable] thought (for somebody/something) a feeling of care or worry
- Spare a thought for those without enough to eat this winter.
- Don't give it another thought (= to tell somebody not to worry after they have said they are sorry).
- It's the thought that counts (= used to say that somebody has been very kind even if they have only done or given something small or unimportant).
Extra Examples- Thank you for the flowers—it was a very kind thought.
- Spare a thought for us—we'll be working through the night to finish the report.
- He ran into the burning house with no thought for his own life.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- kind
- nice
- [uncountable, countable] an intention or a hope of doing something
- thought (of doing something) She had given up all thought of changing her job.
- thought (of something) He acted with no thoughts of personal gain.
- [uncountable] ideas in politics, science, etc. connected with a particular person, group or period of history
- feminist thought
Extra Examples- Marxist thought remained at the centre of the country's politics.
- Political thought went through some major changes during the 19th century.
- There isn't much real evidence relating to early Greek thought.
- We're studying the history of scientific thought from the 15th century onward.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- modern
- 19th-century
- etc.
- …
- crime
- police
- a school of thought
- a strand of thought
see also think
something you think
mind/ideas
process/act of thinking
care/worry
intention
in politics/science, etc.
Word OriginOld English thōht, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gedachte, also to think.
Idioms
See thought in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee thought in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishcollect yourself/your thoughts
- to try to control your emotions and become calm
- I'm fine—I just need a minute to collect myself.
- to prepare yourself mentally for something
- She paused to collect her thoughts before entering the interview room.
food for thought
- an idea that makes you think seriously and carefully
- The programme certainly provides plenty of food for thought.
give (somebody) pause for thought
(also give (somebody) pause)
- (formal) to make somebody think seriously about something or hesitate before doing something
- Popular resistance to the measures should give the government pause for thought.
have second thoughts
- to change your opinion after thinking about something again
- You’re not having second thoughts about it, are you?
on second thoughts (British English)
(North American English on second thought)
- used to say that you have changed your opinion
- I'll wait here. No, on second thoughts, I'll come with you.
a penny for your thoughts | a penny for them
- (saying) used to ask somebody what they are thinking about
perish the thought
- (informal or humorous) used to say that you find a suggestion unacceptable or that you hope that something will never happen
- Me get married? Perish the thought!
school(s) of thought
- a way of thinking that a number of people share
- There are two schools of thought about how this illness should be treated.
- He belongs to the school of thought that says that competition can be very stimulating for children.
a train of thought
- the connected series of thoughts that are in your head at a particular time
- The phone ringing interrupted my train of thought.
- I lose my train of thought when there are distractions.
the wish is father to the thought
- (saying) we believe a thing because we want it to be true
without a second thought
- immediately; without stopping to think about something further
- He dived in after her without a second thought.
- I accepted the offer without a second thought.
Check pronunciation:
thought