thought

noun

\ 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

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about thought

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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

Patrick Sharkey and Michael Friedson, two sociologists, conducted a thought experiment showing that life expectancy for black men would have been 0.8 years lower if homicide rates had persisted at their levels in 1991. — The Economist, "Black men in America are living almost as long as white men," 14 June 2019 Read on for excerpts from these thought-provoking sessions. — Vogue, "“Speed Up / Slow Down”: Meditations on Time, Scale, and Assessing Value from Francesco Risso, Benjamin Kirchhoff, and More," 14 June 2019 Scheyd, a left-handed player himself, feels there’s some truth to that thought process. — Kevin Vellturo, courant.com, "Does the Travelers Championship course set up better for left-handed players?," 14 June 2019 My reason for the name was as meandering of a thought process as my attempt to make sense of correct names for guns. — Anchorage Daily News, "When the mountains call, we answer — even if it’s raining," 12 June 2019 But the layered style of director Kelly Colburn’s production for Pointless Theatre is impressive, and thought-provoking. — Nelson Pressley, Washington Post, "D.C. sniper case is the frame for ‘Forest Treás,’ an experimental show about media," 11 June 2019 Here, Momose walks us through the thought process behind Kumiko’s space. — Vanessa Lawrence, ELLE Decor, "Kumiko Is a New Bar in Chicago That Will Instantly Transport You to Japan," 11 June 2019 More relevant now is the makeup of a draft class, which offers insights into a organizational thought process. — Henry Schulman, SFChronicle.com, "How the Giants’ first draft under Farhan Zaidi, Michael Holmes played out," 10 June 2019 My thought process at the time was to move southeast — North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, something like that — but the Spirit led us to San Antonio. — Megan Rodriguez, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio engineering firm owner talks projects, faith, family and Austin," 10 June 2019

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.