Word family noun think rethink thinker thinking the unthinkable adjective thinkable ≠ unthinkable thinking ≠ unthinking verb think rethink adverb unthinkingly
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthinkthink1 /θɪŋk/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle thought /θɔːt $ θɒːt/) 1 opinion/belief [transitive]THINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to have a particular opinion or to believe that something is truethink (that) I think that you’re being unfair. I thought I heard something. He didn’t think anyone would believe him. Do you think I should call him? For some reason, I keep thinking it’s Friday today. The recession lasted longer than anyone thought it would. Am I right in thinking that you have a brother? I can’t help thinking that he’s made a mistake. Do you honestly think I would do something so stupid?what do you think of/about somebody/sth? (=used to ask someone for their opinion) What do you think of your new school?think it necessary/possible/best etc (=believe it is necessary, possible etc) I thought it best to call first. I thought it appropriate to invite her to speak at the meeting. We must start thinking in terms of reducing costs.be thought to be (doing) something (=be believed to be (doing) something) Fraud is thought to be costing software companies millions of dollars a year.2 use your mind [intransitive, transitive]THINK ABOUT to use your mind to decide about something, form an opinion, imagine something etc She thought very carefully before answering. Wait a minute – I’m thinking.think about/of She lay awake thinking about the money.think what/how/when etc I can’t think what else we could have done.think (long and) hard (=think for a long time) She thought very hard before deciding to leave her job. Holmes sat thinking deeply (=thinking in a serious and careful way).I dread/shudder/hate to think (=I do not want to think about something because it will be unpleasant) I dread to think how much this call is going to cost.3 have an idea [transitive]THINK something/HAVE A THOUGHT to have words or ideas in your mind without telling them to anyone ‘How strange!’ he thought. ‘I don’t care!’ she thought to herself. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.think what/how/when etc I was just thinking what a lovely time we had yesterday.4 remember [transitive] to remember somethingthink where/what etc He was trying to think where he’d seen her before. I couldn’t think where I’d left my keys.5 consider somebody/something [intransitive, transitive] to consider that someone or something is a particular thing or has a particular qualitythink of somebody/something as something Peter had always thought of Kate as someone to be avoided. I want you to think of this as your home.think of yourself as something I’ve always thought of myself as a sensible person.think somebody (to be) something My parents never thought me capable of doing a degree. We have good reason to think kindly of (=consider in an approving way) a school that has provided all our children with an excellent education. 6 → think of/about doing something7 → think twice8 → think againSPOKEN PHRASES9 → I think10 → I think I’ll ...11 → I thought (that)12 → I would think13 → you would have thought (that)14 → do you think (that) ... ?15 → who/what etc do you think?16 → I think not17 → (just) think18 → (now I) come to think of it19 → I wasn’t thinking20 → to think (that) ... !21 → if you think ... , you’ve got another think coming!22 → that’s what you/they etc think!23 → who would have thought?24 → I thought as much25 → I should have thought ...26 → think better of it27 → think nothing of doing something28 → think nothing of something29 → not think to do something30 → think for yourself31 → think aloud32 → think straight33 → not think much of somebody/something34 → think highly of somebody/something35 → think the world of somebody36 → think badly of somebody37 → think the best/worst of somebody38 → think big39 → think outside the box40 → think positive/positively41 → think on your feet42 → think to do something43 → anyone would think (that) → can’t hear yourself think at hear(12)COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: to use your mind to decide about something, form an opinion, imagine something etcadverbscarefullyThink carefully about every spending decision you make.hard (=with a lot of mental effort)I bet, if you think really hard, you can think of something to do.deeplyI should have thought more deeply before I agreed.seriouslyI thought seriously about my doctor’s advice.clearlyShe was simply too tired to think clearly.phraseslong and hard (=hard, for a long time, before making a decision)I thought long and hard about taking the role.I dread/hate/shudder to think (=I do not want to think about something bad)I dread to think what might have happened if we hadn’t found her. THESAURUSto have a particular opinionthinkI think you’re right.She didn’t think that the film was very good.believe to have an opinion that you are sure is right, especially about an important subject such as politics or religionThe protestors believe that it is wrong to experiment on animals. Do you really believe that the only solution to violence is more violence?feel to have a particular opinion, especially one that is based on your feelings, not on factsShe feels that there is no alternative.I just felt that it was the right thing to do. take the view that formal to have a particular opinionThe court took the view that the company had acted unreasonably.The college takes the view that smoking in the workplace is a fire risk.to think about somethingthink to use your mind to decide about something, form an opinion, imagine something etcI’ve been thinking about what you said – maybe you’re right.I need some time to think. consider to think about something carefully before deciding what to doHave you considered working for a year before going to college?weigh (also weigh up British English) to carefully think about a plan or choice by comparing all the advantages and disadvantages involvedYou need to weigh up the pros and cons (=the advantages and disadvantages), and decide which investment is the best one for you.The committee are still weighing the alternatives.give something some/a lot of thought to think carefully about something, before you make a final decision about itWhy don’t you give it some thought and then get back to me?He had obviously given the matter a lot of thought.mull something over to think about a problem, plan etc before making a decisionCan you give me a bit of time to mull it over?ponder to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about something, especially a problem or something complicatedShe is still pondering what to do.Officials are pondering ways to remove the oil from the beaches.contemplate to think about something you might do in the futureDid you ever contemplate resigning?reflect formal to think carefully about something, especially something that happened in the pastIt was a good time to reflect upon the changes that had happened in my life.to keep thinking about somethingbrood to keep thinking for a long time about something that worries you or that makes you angry or upsetThere’s no point brooding over things you can’t change.dwell on something to spend too much time thinking about something sad or unpleasantI try to enjoy my life today and not dwell on the past. GRAMMAR: Patterns with think• You think that something is true: I think that she is a great writer.• You think that something will happen: Do you think the weather will be fine tomorrow?• You think that someone can do something: I don’t think that he can come to the meeting.• You think that someone should do something, or ought to do something: Do you think that the government should increase taxes?I think that he ought to be ashamed of himself. • You think that something could be true or might be true: I think that the keys might be upstairs. • You think that something could happen or might happen: Some people think there could be another world economic crisis.• In negative sentences, you say I don’t think: I don’t think that’s right.I don’t think he liked it. ✗Don’t say: I think that isn’t right. | I think he didn’t like it.• You can use the phrases I think so or I don’t think so, usually to give a short answer: 'Is his name John?' 'I think so.''Are we late?' 'I don’t think so.' ✗Don’t say: I think it.GrammarUsing the progressive• When think means ‘believe’, it is not normally used in the progressive. You say: I think you look nice. ✗Don’t say: I am thinking you look nice.• In spoken English, people sometimes say I’m thinking to describe their present thoughts about something that is happening right now: I’m thinking we should leave.Using the passiveIn more formal English, you can say it is thought that something is true: It is thought that as many as a billion people are learning English. → think back → think of somebody/something → think something ↔ out → think something ↔ over → think something ↔ through → think something ↔ up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
think• "He looks upset, " Camilla thought.• "What did you do with the keys?" "Hang on, I'm just trying to think."• Be quiet, I'm thinking.• Give me time to think.• I've been thinking about how to tell Marcia the bad news.• "What are you going to do with your day off?" "I don't know - I haven't really thought about it yet."• They would rather just cheer loudly for the athlete and not think about the politics.• He thought and thought but he couldn't remember.• It's a difficult question. Think carefully before you answer.• If she thought hard enough, she could just about remember what her mother looked like.• I never thought her business would be so successful.• I don't think I do.• I think I'll go and see what's happening out there.• She thinks I'm crazy to leave my job.• I thought it would make a nice little plug for Mortensen and Brannigan.• I've just thought of a really good idea.• Has she thought of any names for the baby?• I have been thinking of killing a few people.• "Did you ask Rita?" "No, I didn't think of that."• I thought of the contents of the suitcase and decided that there was something in what he said.• In their relationship to their government they think of themselves as neither powerless nor, what is more important, alone.• As I stripped off the wet suit, I thought over our situation.• The builders said the job would be finished tomorrow, but I don't think that's likely.• Do you think they'll come to the party?• Meg, who thought things ought to be done properly, invited Alan's parents round for tea, just before Christmas.• I thought we had a good meeting yesterday.• Just let me think what the title was.• I can't think where I put it.be thought to be (doing) something• Because work is still considered a male role, leisure, similarly, is thought to be a male preserve.• House raids: A team of burglars is thought to be operating in the Chester Road area of Hartlepool.• Of those, 1,049 are thought to be HIV-positive.• The origin of the ancestral wild boar is thought to be the Crimea.• The sudden onset of severe weather conditions was thought to be a frequent result of disturbance to a site.• This was thought to be the cause of the blaze.• Thus, when pain is seen to arise within the counselling process, counselling is thought to be the cause.• Until recently the Antikythera mechanism was thought to be the sole surviving example of mathematical gearing in the Hellenistic tradition.I dread/shudder/hate to think• I never know how carefully. I shudder to think.• What we will do next Season I dread to think.• What will happen when you publish on Sundays as well, I dread to think.• This can be one of the many characteristics of toxoplasmosis. I hated to think of Jasper being as I had been.• Palestrina! I shudder to think what I should do when her next social invitation arrives in the letter box!• I regularly see them sent out alone on shopping errands. I shudder to think what might happen on their way home.• But without Debbie's determination and your article, I dread to think what might have happened.• But take care of them, darling. I hate to think what we'd do if they had to be replaced.think what/how/when etc• I wouldn't let myself think how I had hoped to marry Nour and the happiness I had anticipated.• They sat in the private bar at the Gates looking down into their glasses, trying to think what it should be.• No doubt there was an answer to that, too, but he couldn't think what it was.• She dreaded to think what sort of state her face must be in.• Maybe he's thinking how to explain it, I thought.• He was thinking how unconscious she seemed now to be of the awkwardness of their encounter.• I thought when we pushed it we played a lot better.• Watching that fair, contemptuous face he thought how well he knew the type from his own school.think where/what etc• She came to visit Streatlam to look at the horses and I thought what a very handsome woman she was.• For one moment she thought what fun it would be with them all.• He couldn't think where he had gone wrong.• Polly could not begin to think what he meant.• I stopped for a second and tried to think what my conclusive proof was.• I can not think what the Riding, but not only the Riding, will be without him.• Tried not to think what they were treading on.• I hate to think what we'd do if they had to be replaced.think kindly of• She would, he declared, think kindly of him for what he had said.thinkthink2 noun → have a thinkOrigin think Old English thencan 