thought

1 past tense and past participle of think 1 2 noun

1 STH YOU THINK ABOUT (C) something that you think of, remember, or realize; idea: I was just going to pick up the phone when a sudden thought made me hesitate.

(+ of): a traveller's thoughts of home | the thought (that): I'm bothered by the thought that I might not have a job next year. | have a thought (=suddenly think of something): I've just had a thought - why don't we invite Judith? | the thought crossed my mind (=I considered it): “Do you think we should cancel the holiday?” “The thought had crossed my mind.” | a/the thought occurs to sb (=someone thinks of something): The thought has just occurred to me, that we should get some insurance. | the very thought (of) (=used when a thought produces strong feelings): The very thought of moving to New York filled him with dread. | sobering thought (=a serious and worrying thought): It's a sobering thought that this country spends more on weapons than on education. | dark thoughts (=evil or sad thoughts): You must put such dark thoughts out of your mind. | cannot bear the thought of (=be unable to accept an idea): Louis could not bear the thought of being parted from her.

2 ACT OF THINKING (U) the act of thinking: lost/deep in thought (=thinking so much that you do not notice what is happening around you): Derek was staring out of the window, lost in thought. | thought process (=the way people's minds work): Piaget helped teachers to understand children's thought processes.

3 CAREFUL CONSIDERATION (U) careful and serious consideration: With more thought and care this would have been a first class essay. | give sth thought (=think carefully about sth): I've been giving your proposal a lot of thought.

4 that's a thought! spoken used to say that someone has made a good suggestion: “Why don't you ask Walter's advice?” “That's a thought! - I'll phone him right away.”

5 it's just a thought spoken used to say that what you have just said is only a suggestion and you have not thought about it very much: I was wondering if your brother could help us - it was just a thought.

6 SUGGESTION (C) a suggestion or opinion about something

(+ on): Do you have any thoughts on how we should spend the money?

7 INTENTION (C, U) intention or hope of doing something

(+ of): I had no thought of gaining any personal advantage.

8 CARING ABOUT STH (C, U) a feeling of worrying or caring about something

(+ for): Louis went back into the blazing building with no thought for his own safety. | you are always in my thoughts (=used to tell someone that you think about them and care about them a lot)

9 sb's thoughts turn to sth if your thoughts turn to something, you start to think about it: Debbie's thoughts had turned to more serious matters.

10 spare a thought for used to tell someone that they should think about someone who is in a worse situation than they are: Spare a thought for the homeless.

11 don't give it another thought spoken used to tell someone politely not to worry after they have told you they are sorry

12 it's the thought that counts spoken used to say that someone's actions are very kind even if they have only done something small or unimportant

13 WAY OF THINKING (U) a way of thinking that is typical of a particular group, period of history etc: ancient Greek thought

—see also: perish the thought perish (3), second thought, school of thought school 1 (8)