What does "think" mean?
An act of thinking; consideration (of something).
Think
/θɪŋk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of thinking; consideration (of something).
- Grammar: think is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: believe, consider, imagine, suppose.
- Useful contrasts: disbelieve, doubt, forget.
- Usage evidence: I suppose it's different when you think about it over the long term.
How to use "think"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "think" 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 "think" 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 "think" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "think" 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 "think" 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 "believe" 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 "think", 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 An act of thinking; consideration (of something). UK, uncountable, usually
"I'll have a think about that and let you know."
- 2 an instance of deliberate thinking wordnet
Verb
- 1 To ponder, to go over in one's mind. transitive
"Idly, the detective thought what his next move should be."
- 2 To seem, to appear.
"And whanne syr launcelot sawe he myghte not ryde vp in to the montayne he there alyghte vnder an Appel tree […] And then he leid hym doune to slepe And thenne hym thoughte there came an old man afore hym the whiche sayd A launcelot of euylle feythe and poure byleue wherfor is thy wille tourned soo lyghtely toward thy dedely synne"
- 3 bring into a given condition by mental preoccupation wordnet
- 4 To have (some statement) in one's mind; to say to oneself mentally. transitive
""I should phone my mother," I thought."
- 5 recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection wordnet
Show 18 more definitions
- 6 To communicate to oneself in one's mind, to try to find a solution to a problem. intransitive
"I thought for three hours about the problem and still couldn’t find the solution."
- 7 be capable of conscious thought wordnet
- 8 To conceive of something or someone intransitive
"I tend to think of her as rather ugly."
- 9 use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments wordnet
- 10 To be of opinion (that); to consider, judge, regard, or look upon (something) as. transitive
"I don't think it worth complaining about the leak in the roof, is it?"
- 11 have or formulate in the mind wordnet
- 12 To guess; to reckon; to believe while admittedly being uncertain. transitive
"We should/would have thought she could've washed her hands before, at least."
- 13 expect, believe, or suppose wordnet
- 14 To plan; to be considering; to be of a mind (to do something).
"The cupbearer shrugged up his shoulders in displeasure. "I thought to have lodged him in the solere chamber," said he[…]"
- 15 judge or regard; look upon; judge wordnet
- 16 To presume; to venture.
"Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father."
- 17 dispose the mind in a certain way wordnet
- 18 Ellipsis of think so. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, informal
"These plants are dead. Uh, you think?"
- 19 have in mind as a purpose wordnet
- 20 focus one's attention on a certain state wordnet
- 21 ponder; reflect on, or reason about wordnet
- 22 decide by pondering, reasoning, or reflecting wordnet
- 23 imagine or visualize wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"I suppose it's different when you think about it over the long term."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "think"?
Common synonyms include: believe, consider, imagine, suppose, account as, aim.
How do you use "think" in a sentence?
I suppose it's different when you think about it over the long term.
How do you pronounce "think"?
Pronounced /θɪŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English thinken, thynken, thenken, thenchen, from Old English þenċan, from Proto-West Germanic *þankijan, from Proto-Germanic *þankijaną (“to think”), from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to think, feel, know”). Cognate with Scots think, thynk (“to think”), North Frisian teenk, taanke, tanke, tånke (“to think”), Saterland Frisian toanke (“to think”), West Frisian tinke (“to think”), Dutch denken, dinken (“to think”), Afrikaans dink (“to think”), Low German denken, dinken (“to think”), German denken (“to think”), Danish tænke (“to think”), Swedish tänka (“to think”), Norwegian Bokmål tenke (“to think”), Norwegian Nynorsk tenkja (“to think”), Icelandic þekkja (“to know, recognise, identify, perceive”), Latin tongeō (“know”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English thinken, thynken, thenken (also thinchen, thünchen), from Old English þyncan (“to seem, appear”), from Proto-Germanic *þunkijaną (“to seem”). Cognate with Dutch dunken (“to seem, appear”), German dünken (“to seem, appear”), Danish tykkes (“to seem”), Swedish tycka (“to seem, think, regard”), Icelandic þykja (“to be regarded, be considered, seem”). More at methinks.