thought

noun

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\ ˈthȯt

Definition of thought

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that is thought: such as

a : an individual act or product of thinking

b : a developed intention or plan had no thought of leaving home

c : something (such as an opinion or belief) in the mind he spoke his thoughts freely

d : the intellectual product or the organized views and principles of a period, place, group, or individual contemporary Western thought

2a : the action or process of thinking : cogitation

b : serious consideration : regard

c archaic : recollection, remembrance

3a : reasoning power

b : the power to imagine : conception

a thought

: a little : somewhat a thought too much vinegar in the dressing

thought

Definition of thought (Entry 2 of 2)

past tense and past participle of think

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Choose the Right Synonym for thought

Noun

idea, concept, conception, thought, notion, impression mean what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan). idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed. innovative ideas my idea of paradise concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be. a society with no concept of private property conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result. our changing conception of what constitutes art thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining. commit your thoughts to paper notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental. you have the oddest notions impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses. the first impression is of soaring height

Examples of thought in a Sentence

Noun He could easily have held the audience for a one-hour answer that ranged from his thoughts on jazz to his soap-opera career playing gangsters … — Calvin Trillin, Nation, 28 May 2007 … thoughts expressed while sitting alone at the keyboard would be put more diplomatically—or go unmentioned—face to face. — Daniel Goleman, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2007 Yes, well don't forget, sir, we're viewing this with twenty-twenty hindsight, but at the time no one gave a thought to geckos or what they ate—they were just another fact of life in the tropics. — T. Coraghessan Boyle, Harper's, April 1993 My first thought was that something must have changed. The thought of leaving never crossed my mind. Do you have any thoughts about the subject? She abandoned all thoughts of going home. It was just a thought. She was lost in thought. She abandoned all thought of going home. They should have put more thought into the proposal. While you're enjoying the holidays, you should spare a thought for those who are less fortunate. He has no thought for anyone but himself.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Mahomes deal could be tricky A few leftover post-Super Bowl thoughts: ■ Patrick Mahomes is entering the last year of his contract, and obviously the Chiefs want to lock him up long term. — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, "Why most of the country was rooting for Andy Reid in the Super Bowl," 8 Feb. 2020 My second thought was: What would 10-year-old me do? — Michelle Allison, SELF, "I Learned to Ice Skate at Age 39 and I Cannot Recommend It Enough," 5 Feb. 2020 My initial thought was that the esthetician didn’t check my skin properly and missed something brewing under the surface. — Shalwah Evans, Essence, "I Broke Out Right After A Facial. Why?," 30 Jan. 2020 Fans of the Family Feud star flooded the comment section of the post to share their thoughts about his technique. — Selena Barrientos, Good Housekeeping, "Steve Harvey Fans Cannot Believe He Took a Knife to His Shoe in New Instagram Video," 28 Jan. 2020 Studies suggest that stigma about mental illness and the feeling that one will be outcast further or ignored may keep black youth from sharing their thoughts. — Popular Science, "Black youth have some of the highest suicide rates in America, and we’re only beginning to understand why," 24 Jan. 2020 Studies suggest that stigma about mental illness and the feeling that one will be outcast further or ignored may keep black youth from sharing their thoughts. — Rheeda Walker, The Conversation, "Black kids and suicide: Why are rates so high, and so ignored?," 17 Jan. 2020 Read along this month and share your thoughts on Twitter @natgeotravel. — National Geographic, "Here are the books travel editors really love," 13 Jan. 2020 My first thought was to try to rank one billion alongside other major disasters. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "How Many Dead Animals Is 1 Billion Dead Animals?," 10 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'thought.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

12 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Thought.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thought?pronunciation&lang=en_us&dir=t&file=think002. Accessed 24 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for thought

thought

noun