Thought Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on March 5, 2024
"Thought" refers to the process or act of thinking, involving mental consideration, reflection, or contemplation. e.g., The idea came to him after much thought.
Table of Contents
Thought Definitions
Thought means the act of considering or reflecting on something.
She paused for a moment of thought before answering.
Thought denotes the process of pondering or deliberating.
The decision required much thought.
Thought involves the formation of ideas or concepts in the mind.
The writer's thought process was complex and imaginative.
Thought refers to an idea or opinion produced by thinking.
His thought on the subject was insightful.
Thought pertains to the intellectual process of reasoning.
Solving the puzzle required careful thought.
Thought describes the consideration or attention given to someone.
His kind thought was reflected in the gift he chose.
Thought can refer to a contemplative or reflective state.
He was lost in thought and didn't hear her enter.
Past tense and past participle of think.
The process of thinking; cogitation
Sitting deep in thought at the computer.
A product of thinking or other mental activity
What are your thoughts on this matter?.
The faculty of thinking or reasoning
Why not use thought instead of emotion to solve the problem?.
The intellectual activity or production of a particular time or group
Ancient Greek thought.
Deconstructionist thought.
Consideration; attention
Didn't give much thought to what she said.
Intention; purpose
My thought is to live in a house on a lake.
Expectation or conception
She had no thought that anything was wrong.
(countable) Representation created in the mind without the use of one's faculties of vision, sound, smell, touch, or taste; an instance of thinking.
The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.
(uncountable) The operation by which mental activity arise or are manipulated; the process of thinking; the agency by which thinking is accomplished.
Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech.
(uncountable) A way of thinking (associated with a group, nation or region).
Traditional eastern thought differs markedly from that of the west.
Anxiety, distress.
(uncountable) The careful consideration of multiple factors; deliberation.
After much thought, I have decided to stay.
A very small amount, distance, etc.; a whit or jot.
Simple past tense and past participle of think
The act of thinking; the exercise of the mind in any of its higher forms; reflection; cogitation.
Thought can not be superadded to matter, so as in any sense to render it true that matter can become cogitative.
Meditation; serious consideration.
Pride, of all others the most dangerous fault,Proceeds from want of sense or want of thought.
That which is thought; an idea; a mental conception, whether an opinion, judgment, fancy, purpose, or intention.
Thus Bethel spoke, who always speaks his thought.
Why do you keep alone, . . . Using those thoughts which should indeed have diedWith them they think on?
Thoughts come crowding in so fast upon me, that my only difficulty is to choose or to reject.
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
Solicitude; anxious care; concern.
Hawis was put in trouble, and died with thought and anguish before his business came to an end.
Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink.
A small degree or quantity; a trifle; as, a thought longer; a thought better.
If the hair were a thought browner.
This [faculty], to which I gave the name of the "elaborative faculty," - the faculty of relations or comparison, - constitutes what is properly denominated thought.
The content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about;
It was not a good idea
The thought never entered my mind
The process of thinking (especially thinking carefully);
Thinking always made him frown
She paused for thought
The organized beliefs of a period or group or individual;
19th century thought
Darwinian thought
A personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty;
My opinion differs from yours
What are your thoughts on Haiti?
Thought can describe a mental plan or intention.
He had a thought to visit the museum this weekend.
Thought is used for a personal belief or judgment.
Her thought was that the movie was too long.
Thought can mean a single instance or product of thinking.
A sudden thought struck her during the lecture.
Thought Snonyms
Concept
An abstract idea; a general notion.
The concept of justice can vary between cultures.
Consideration
Careful thought, typically over a period of time.
After considerable consideration, she decided to accept the job offer.
Idea
A concept or mental impression.
Her idea for the new product was innovative.
Reflection
Serious thought or consideration.
His reflection on past events led to a change in attitude.
Deliberation
Long and careful consideration or discussion.
After much deliberation, the jury reached a verdict.
Cogitation
The action of thinking deeply about something; contemplation.
His cogitation was evident as he pondered the problem.
Rumination
A deep or considered thought about something.
Her rumination on the subject led to a breakthrough.
Notion
A conception of or belief about something.
She had a vague notion about what needed to be done.
Speculation
The forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.
There is much speculation about the possible changes in policy.
Meditation
The action or practice of meditating.
His daily meditation helps him clarify his thoughts.
Thought Idioms & Phrases
A penny for your thoughts
A way of asking what someone is thinking about.
You seem distant today, a penny for your thoughts?
A thought crosses one's mind
To suddenly think of something.
The thought crossed my mind that maybe I had met him before.
A second thought
Reconsideration or afterthought about a previous decision or opinion.
On second thought, let's choose a different restaurant.
Without a second thought
Doing something immediately and without hesitation.
He jumped into the water without a second thought to save the dog.
Food for thought
Something that warrants serious thinking or consideration.
His speech on climate change certainly provided food for thought.
Thought-provoking
Something that stimulates interesting ideas or thoughts.
The documentary was quite thought-provoking.
A train of thought
A linked series of thoughts in one's mind.
His sudden question derailed my train of thought.
A lingering thought
A thought that stays in one’s mind for a long time.
The idea of moving abroad was a lingering thought that she couldn't shake off.
Lost in thought
To be so absorbed in thinking that one becomes unaware of one's surroundings.
She didn’t hear the doorbell; she was lost in thought.
In deep thought
Engrossed in serious or considerable thinking.
He was in deep thought all morning about his future plans.
Share one's thoughts
To express one's ideas or opinions.
I’d like to share my thoughts on the proposal.
A thought struck me
To suddenly have a particular thought or idea.
A thought struck me about how we could improve our marketing strategy.
Collect one's thoughts
To take a moment to organize and focus one's thinking.
Let me just collect my thoughts before I explain the situation.
Put thought into
To consider or think about something carefully.
She clearly put a lot of thought into choosing the perfect gift.
Thought bubble
An imaginary bubble above one's head depicting what they are thinking, often used in cartoons.
If I had a thought bubble right now, it would be full of question marks.
Keep one's thoughts to oneself
To not express one's thoughts or opinions.
It's sometimes better to keep your thoughts to yourself in sensitive situations.
Give no thought to
To not consider or worry about something.
He gave no thought to the risks involved in his actions.
Spare a thought for
To consider or think sympathetically about someone else.
Spare a thought for those who are less fortunate during the holidays.
A fleeting thought
A quick, brief thought or idea that does not last long.
The idea of quitting her job was just a fleeting thought.
The very thought
The mere idea or notion of something.
The very thought of spiders terrifies her.
Thought Example Sentences
She wrote down her thought so she wouldn't forget it.
He shared his thought on the matter during the meeting.
A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he pondered the question.
The thought of moving to a new city excited him.
The book provoked a lot of thought among its readers.
The thought of seeing his friends again made him happy.
She was so lost in thought that she missed her stop.
The project was the result of many months of thought.
The thought of failing the test made him nervous.
Her thought quickly turned to what she would eat for lunch.
His thought drifted to memories of his childhood.
She cherished the thoughtful gift from her friend.
He could see the wheels of thought turning in her mind.
A clever thought helped her solve the math problem.
The thought of going on an adventure thrilled her.
Common Curiosities
How do we divide thought into syllables?
"Thought" cannot be divided into syllables as it is a single syllable word.
How is thought used in a sentence?
Example: "The thought of going on vacation excited her."
How many syllables are in thought?
There is one syllable in "thought."
What is the first form of thought?
The first form (base form) of "thought" as a verb is "think."
What is the singular form of thought?
"Thought" itself is the singular form.
What is the root word of thought?
The root word of "thought" is the Old English "þoht" or "geþoht."
Why is it called thought?
It is called "thought" from the Old English "þoht" or "geþoht," which means the process of thinking, an idea, or a consideration.
What is the second form of thought?
The second form of "thought" as a verb is "thought."
What is a stressed syllable in thought?
The entire word "thought" is stressed as it is only one syllable.
What is the third form of thought?
The third form of "thought" as a verb is also "thought."
Is thought an abstract noun?
Yes, "thought" is an abstract noun.
Is thought a negative or positive word?
"Thought" is neutral; its connotation depends on the context.
Is thought a collective noun?
No, "thought" is not a collective noun.
What is the verb form of thought?
The verb form related to "thought" is "think."
What is the pronunciation of thought?
Thought is pronounced as /θɔːt/.
Is thought a noun or adjective?
"Thought" is a noun.
Is thought an adverb?
No, "thought" is not an adverb.
Which determiner is used with thought?
Determiners like "a," "the," "this," "that," "some," "any," etc., can be used with "thought" depending on the context.
What is another term for thought?
Another term for "thought" is "idea" or "notion."
What is the opposite of thought?
The opposite of "thought" could be "thoughtlessness" or "heedlessness."
What is the plural form of thought?
The plural form of "thought" is "thoughts."
Is the thought term a metaphor?
"Thought" can be used metaphorically in some contexts but is generally a literal term.
Is the word “thought” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Thought" can be used as either a direct object or an indirect object in a sentence.
Which preposition is used with thought?
Prepositions like "of," "about," "on," etc., can be used with "thought," depending on the context.
Which conjunction is used with thought?
Conjunctions such as "and," "but," or "or" can be used with "thought," depending on the sentence structure.
Which article is used with thought?
Both "a" and "the" can be used with "thought," depending on whether it's used in a specific or general context.
What part of speech is thought?
"Thought" is a noun.
Is thought a vowel or consonant?
"Thought" is a word, not a vowel or consonant. However, it starts with a consonant.
Is thought a countable noun?
Yes, "thought" is a countable noun.
Is the word thought is imperative?
No, "thought" is not an imperative; it's a noun.
Is the word thought Gerund?
No, "thought" is not a gerund; it's a noun. The gerund form of its verb "think" is "thinking."
Which vowel is used before thought?
The choice of vowel before "thought" depends on the preceding word in a sentence.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
