think

1 of 3

verb

thought ˈthȯt How to pronounce think (audio) ; thinking

transitive verb

1
: to form or have in the mind
2
: to have as an intention
thought to return early
3
a
: to have as an opinion
think it's so
b
: to regard as : consider
think the rule unfair
4
a
: to reflect on : ponder
think the matter over
b
: to determine by reflecting
think what to do next
5
: to call to mind : remember
He never thinks to ask how we are.
6
: to devise by thinking
usually used with up
thought up a plan to escape
7
: to have as an expectation : anticipate
We didn't think we'd have any trouble.
8
a
: to center one's thoughts on
talks and thinks business
b
: to form a mental picture of
9
: to subject to the processes of logical thought
think things out

intransitive verb

1
a
: to exercise the powers of judgment, conception, or inference : reason
b
: to have in the mind or call to mind a thought
2
a
: to have the mind engaged in reflection : meditate
b
: to consider the suitability
thought of her for president
3
: to have a view or opinion
thinks of himself as a poet
4
: to have concern
usually used with of
I must think first of my family.
5
: to consider something likely : suspect
may happen sooner than you think
thinker noun

think

2 of 3

noun

: an act of thinking
He has to make up his mind, in a deep, hard think, whether he really believes that philanthropy is worth while.Jerome Ellison
… returned home for a rest and a good think.Richard Corliss
If he thinks he can fool me, he has another think coming. [=he is wrong]

think

3 of 3

adjective

: relating to, requiring, or stimulating thinking
Phrases
think better of
: to reconsider and make a wiser decision
think much of
: to view with satisfaction : approve
usually used in negative constructions
I didn't think much of the new car.
Choose the Right Synonym for think

think, conceive, imagine, fancy, realize, envisage, envision mean to form an idea of.

think implies the entrance of an idea into one's mind with or without deliberate consideration or reflection.

I just thought of a good joke

conceive suggests the forming and bringing forth and usually developing of an idea, plan, or design.

conceived of a new marketing approach

imagine stresses a visualization.

imagine you're at the beach

fancy suggests an imagining often unrestrained by reality but spurred by desires.

fancied himself a super athlete

realize stresses a grasping of the significance of what is conceived or imagined.

realized the enormity of the task ahead

envisage and envision imply a conceiving or imagining that is especially clear or detailed.

envisaged a totally computerized operation
envisioned a cure for the disease

think, cogitate, reflect, reason, speculate, deliberate mean to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference.

think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

teaches students how to think

cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

cogitated on the mysteries of nature

reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

reflecting on fifty years of married life

reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

able to reason brilliantly in debate

speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

the jury deliberated for five hours

Examples of think in a Sentence

Verb We may finish sooner than you think. You should relax and try to think pleasant thoughts. I was just thinking what it would be like to be a doctor. I dread to think how he will react. Why do you always think the worst? Just think how nice it would be to live here. Just think—in two days we'll be on vacation, lying on the beach. Noun I'd have another think about doing that if I were you. Feel free to have a good think about it before you say yes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
About 6 million to 8 million people in the US are thought to have NASH with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis, or scarring, the FDA says. Katherine Dillinger, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Each thinks the other has forgotten the other and years go by. Frank Rizzo, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 There’s a sense of all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small being worthy of life, despite what the film’s resident bigots and bullies might think. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 He’s been thinking about the problem for a long time. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2024 An article on Thursday about a study that found oil fields release more greenhouse gases than thought misidentified the academic affiliation of the study. New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Tech start-ups and venture capitalists who had never thought about banking have learned some valuable lessons in terms of spreading deposits among various banks and being able to move them quickly if need be, Nivard said. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Having additional revenue streams may be something content creators are thinking about more pressingly since the U.S. passed a bill which may effectively ban TikTok in America. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Beauty standards can be challenging for young girls; however, Ennis doesn’t think all standards are harmful. Celeste Polanco, Essence, 15 Mar. 2024
Adjective
When cell walls hold strong, foods hoard their precious calories and pass through our body intact (think corn). Rob Dunn, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2013 The officer asked to inspect the unit, which had a think dark-colored liquid. John Benson, cleveland, 12 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'think.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English thenken, from Old English thencan; akin to Old High German denken to think, Latin tongēre to know — more at thanks

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of think was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near think

Cite this Entry

“Think.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/think. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

think

verb
ˈthiŋk
thought
ˈthȯt
; thinking
1
: to form or have in the mind
afraid to think what might happen
2
: to have as an opinion : believe
think it's so
3
: to hold in the mind for some time : ponder
think the matter over
think about it
4
: to call to mind : remember
never thought to ask
he never thinks to call home
5
: to use the power of reason
think before you write your answer
6
: to have an opinion
they think highly of you
7
: to have concern
I must think of my family first
8
: to invent by thinking
usually used with up
always thinking up new schemes
thinkable
ˈthiŋ-kə-bəl
adjective
thinker noun

More from Merriam-Webster on think

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