should

modal verb (REASON)

strong /ʃʊd/ weak /ʃəd/

Definition

B2 used after 'why' when giving or asking the reason for something: Why should anyone want to eat something so horrible? Why shouldn't she buy it if she can afford it?Motives and reasons

(Definition of should modal verb (REASON) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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shotgun wedding noun
should modal verb (ADVISE)
should modal verb (DUTY)
should modal verb (POSSIBILITY)
should modal verb (PROBABLE)
should modal verb (REASON)
should modal verb (SURPRISE)
should modal verb (WOULD)
should've
shoulder bag noun
shoulder blade noun

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Business
Clothes
Education
Finance
Light and colour
Personal care

“should” in other dictionaries

in Spanish
in Turkish

American English
Learner's

should modal verb (DUTY)
should modal verb (PROBABLE)
should modal verb (POSSIBILITY)
should modal verb (WOULD)
should modal verb (SURPRISE)
should modal verb (ADVISE)

See all results »

how should I know? idiom
I should think not/so (too)! idiom
I should be so lucky! idiom
they should worry! idiom
you should have seen/heard sth/sb idiom
sb should be shot idiom

See all idiom results »

SMART Thesaurus: Motives and reasons

Synonyms and related words:

cause noun (REASON)
drive noun (POWER)
first principles noun
ground noun (CAUSE)
hidden agenda noun
impulse noun (REASON)
in the name of sth idiom
inclination noun (FEELING)
justification noun
mainspring noun
motivation noun (ENTHUSIASM)
motivation noun (REASON)
motive noun
object noun (CAUSE)
peg noun (HOOK)
rationale noun
reason noun (EXPLANATION)
wherefores noun
why noun

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