(~s, ~ing, thought)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ that something is the case, you have the opinion that it is the case.
I certainly ~ there should be a ban on tobacco advertising...
A generation ago, it was thought that babies born this small could not survive...
Tell me, what do you ~ of my theory?...
Peter is useless, far worse than I thought...
He manages a good deal better than I thought possible...
‘It ought to be stopped.’—‘Yes, I ~ so.’
VERB: no cont, V that, it be V-ed that, V of/about n, V, V adj, V so/not
2.
If you say that you ~ that something is true or will happen, you mean that you have the impression that it is true or will happen, although you are not certain of the facts.
Nora thought he was seventeen years old...
The storm is thought to be responsible for as many as four deaths...
‘Did Mr Stevens ever mention her to you?’—‘No, I don’t ~ so.’
VERB: no cont, V that, be V-ed to-inf, V so/not
3.
If you ~ in a particular way, you have those general opinions or attitudes.
You were probably brought up to ~ like that...
If you ~ as I do, vote as I do...
I don’t blame you for ~ing that way.
VERB: no cont, no passive, V like n, V as/like cl, V n
4.
When you ~ about ideas or problems, you make a mental effort to consider them.
She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to ~...
I have often thought about this problem...
Let’s ~ what we can do...
We had to ~ what to do next.
VERB: V, V about n/wh, V wh, V wh to-inf
•
Think is also a noun. (mainly BRIT)
I’ll have a ~ about that.
N-SING: a N
5.
If you ~ in a particular way, you consider things, solve problems, or make decisions in this way, for example because of your job or your background.
To make the computer work at full capacity, the programmer has to ~ like the machine...
The referee has to ~ the way the players do.
VERB: no passive, V prep, V n
6.
If you ~ of something, it comes into your mind or you remember it.
Nobody could ~ of anything to say...
I was trying to ~ what else we had to do.
VERB: no cont, V of n, V wh
7.
If you ~ of an idea, you make a mental effort and use your imagination and intelligence to create it or develop it.
He thought of another way of getting out of the marriage...
VERB: V of n
8.
If you are ~ing something at a particular moment, you have words or ideas in your mind without saying them out loud.
She must be ill, Tatiana thought...
I remember ~ing how lovely he looked...
I’m trying to ~ positive thoughts.
VERB: no passive, V with quote, V wh/that, V n
9.
If you ~ of someone or something as having a particular quality or purpose, you regard them as having this quality or purpose.
We all thought of him as a father...
Nobody had thought him capable of that kind of thing.
VERB: no cont, V of n as n/-ing, V n adj
10.
If you ~ a lot of someone or something, you admire them very much or ~ they are very good.
To tell the truth, I don’t ~ much of psychiatrists...
People at the club ~ very highly of him...
VERB: no cont, V amount of n, V adv of n
11.
If you ~ of someone, you show consideration for them and pay attention to their needs.
I’m only ~ing of you...
You don’t have to ~ about me and Hugh.
VERB: V of n, V about n
12.
If you are ~ing of taking a particular course of action, you are considering it as a possible course of action.
Martin was ~ing of taking legal action against Zuckerman...
VERB: V of -ing/n
13.
You can say that you are ~ing of a particular aspect or subject, in order to introduce an example or explain more exactly what you are talking about.
I’m primarily ~ing of the first year...
VERB: usu cont, V of n
14.
You use ~ in questions where you are expressing your anger or shock at someone’s behaviour.
What were you ~ing of? You shouldn’t steal.
VERB: only interrog, V of n/-ing disapproval
15.
You use ~ when you are commenting on something which you did or experienced in the past and which now seems surprising, foolish, or shocking to you.
To ~ I left you alone in a place with a madman at large!...
When I ~ of how you’ve behaved and the trouble you’ve got into!
VERB: no cont, no passive, V that, V of n
16.
You can use ~ in expressions such as you would ~ or I would have thought when you are criticizing someone because they ought to or could be expected to do something, but have not done it.
You’d ~ you’d remember to wash your ears...
‘Surely to God she should have been given some proper help.’—‘Well I would have thought so.’
VERB: no cont, V that, V so , also V disapproval
17.
You can use ~ in expressions such as anyone would ~ and you would ~ to express your surprise or disapproval at the way someone is behaving.
Anyone would ~ you were in love with the girl...
VERB: no cont, V that
18.
see also ~ing , thought
19.
You use expressions such as come to ~ of it, when you ~ about it, or ~ing about it, when you mention something that you have suddenly remembered or realized.
He was her distant relative, as was everyone else on the island, come to ~ of it...
PHRASE: PHR with cl
20.
You use ‘I ~’ as a way of being polite when you are explaining or suggesting to someone what you want to do, or when you are accepting or refusing an offer.
I ~ I’ll go home and have a shower...
We need a job, and I thought we could go around and ask if people need odd jobs done...
PHRASE: PHR that, PHR with cl, PHR so/not politeness
21.
You use ‘I ~’ in conversations or speeches to make your statements and opinions sound less forceful, rude, or direct.
I ~ he means ‘at’ rather than ‘to’...
Thanks, but I ~ I can handle it...
PHRASE: PHR that, PHR with cl, PHR so/not vagueness
22.
You say just ~ when you feel excited, fascinated, or shocked by something, and you want the person to whom you are talking to feel the same.
Just ~; tomorrow we shall walk out of this place and leave it all behind us forever...
= imagine
PHRASE: PHR with cl, PHR wh
23.
If you ~ again about an action or decision, you consider it very carefully, often with the result that you change your mind and decide to do things differently.
It has forced politicians to ~ again about the wisdom of trying to evacuate refugees...
PHRASE: oft PHR about n/-ing
24.
If you ~ nothing of doing something that other people might consider difficult, strange, or wrong, you consider it to be easy or normal, and you do it often or would be quite willing to do it.
I thought nothing of betting ?1,000 on a horse.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR -ing
25.
If something happens and you ~ nothing of it, you do not pay much attention to it or ~ of it as strange or important, although later you realize that it is.
When she went off to see her parents for the weekend I thought nothing of it...
PHRASE: V inflects
26.
you can’t hear yourself ~: see hear
to shudder to ~: see shudder
to ~ better of it: see better
to ~ big: see big
to ~ twice: see twice
to ~ the world of someone : see world