What does "should" mean?
Something that ought to be the case as opposed to already being the case.
Should
/ʃəd/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Something that ought to be the case as opposed to already being the case.
- Grammar: should is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ought, advisable, apparent, appropriate.
- Useful contrasts: certain, definite, discretionary.
- Usage evidence: When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday.
How to use "should"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "should" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "should" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "should" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "should" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "should" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ought" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "should", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Something that ought to be the case as opposed to already being the case. auxiliary, defective, modal
"When the golf ball is there, the whole self-interference package — the hopes, worries, and fears; the thoughts on how-to and how-not-to; the woulds, the coulds, and the shoulds — is there too."
Verb
- 1 simple past of shall form-of, past
"I told him that I should be busy tomorrow."
- 2 Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.; Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must'). auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"You should never drink and drive."
- 3 To make a statement of what ought to be true, as opposed to reality. auxiliary, defective, modal
- 4 Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.; Used to give advice or opinion that an action is, or would have been, beneficial or desirable. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"You should go and see that film. I think you'll enjoy it."
- 5 To suggest (that someone ought to do something, or that something ought to be the case) by, or as if by, using the word should. auxiliary, defective, modal
"I'd prefer that she stop shoulding me. I prefer that I stop shoulding me. I prefer that I stop shoulding her."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.; With verbs such as 'see' or 'hear', usually in the second person, used to point out something remarkable in either a good or bad way. auxiliary, defective, informal, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"You should see his new apartment. It's like a palace!"
- 7 Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.; In questions, asks what is correct, proper, desirable, etc. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"What do you think? What should I do?"
- 8 Ought to; expressing expectation.; Indicates that something is expected to have happened or to be the case now. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"They should have finished by now; I'll call them to check."
- 9 Ought to; expressing expectation.; Will be likely to (become or do something); indicates a degree of possibility or probability that the stated thing will happen or be true in the future. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"They should have it finished by Friday."
- 10 Used to form a variant of the present subjunctive, expressing a state or action that is hypothetical, potential, mandated, etc. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past, subjunctive
"If I should be late, I should hope that you are prepared to go on without me."
- 11 An alternative to would with first person subjects.; Used to express a conditional outcome. auxiliary, defective, formal, literary, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"If I had not been so tired, I should have laughed heartily."
- 12 An alternative to would with first person subjects.; Used to impart a tentative, conjectural or polite nuance. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"I should imagine that they have arrived by now."
- 13 An alternative to would with first person subjects.; Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past, no-present-participle, participle, past
"It's disgraceful the way that they've treated you. I should write and complain."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "should"?
Common synonyms include: ought, advisable, apparent, appropriate, be expedient, be forced.
How do you use "should" in a sentence?
When you're beginning to look like the photo in your passport, you should go on a holiday.
How do you pronounce "should"?
Pronounced /ʃəd/.
Etymology
From Middle English scholde, from Old English sċolde, first and third person preterite form of sċulan (“should,” “have to,” “to owe”), the ancestor of English shall. By surface analysis, shall + -ed. Cognate with German sollte, Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (skulda), Swedish skulle. Related to Middle English shild and shildy. The loss of /l/ in this word is probably due to weak stress, as in would and could (though in the latter, the /l/ was due to the analogy of the former two).