Meaning of “think” in the English Dictionary

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"think" in English

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thinkverb

uk ​ /θɪŋk/ us ​ /θɪŋk/ thought, thought

think verb (CONSIDER)

A1 [ I or T ] to believe something or have an opinion or idea:

[ + (that) ] I think (that) I've met you before.
I don't think Emma will get the job.
"Do you think (that) you could get me some stamps while you're in town?"
[ + to infinitive ] He was thought to have boarded the plane in New York.
What did you think of the film?
Salmon used to be thought of as expensive/a luxury.
What do you think about the latest plans for improving the undergroundsystem?
I think it is important to learn English.
not think much of sb/sth

› to have a low opinion of someone or something:

I didn't think much of her latest book.

B2 [ I ] to consider a person's needs or wishes:

She's always thinking of others.

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think verb (REASON)

B1 [ I ] to use the brain to plan something, solve a problem, understand a situation, etc.:

What are you thinking, Peter?
He just does these things without thinkingand he gets himself into trouble.
You think too much - that's your problem.
I'm sorry I forgot to mention your name. I just wasn't thinking.
think long and hard also think twice

C1 to think very carefully about something:

Think long and hard before you make any important decisions.
I know it's exciting, but you should think twice before you spend that much money on a vacation.
think aloud UK US think out loud

› to automatically say what you are thinking:

"What did you say?" "Oh, nothing, I was just thinking aloud."

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Grammar

Think …

Idiom(s)

couldn't think
I can't think
I think not
I thought as much
not be thinking straight
not think twice
think again
think better of sth
think big
think nothing of sth
think on your feet
think outside the box
to sb's way of thinking
who would have thought it?

Phrasal verb(s)

think ahead
think back
think for yourself
think of sth
think of sth/sb
think of/about sb/sth
think sth out
think sth over
think sth through
think sth up

thinknoun

uk ​ /θɪŋk/ us ​ /θɪŋk/

Idiom(s)

have another think coming

(Definition of “think” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

"think" in American English

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thinkverb

us ​ /θɪŋk/ past tense and past participle thought /θɔt/

think verb (HAVE OPINION)

› [ I/T ] to have or to form an opinion or idea about something:

[ T ] "Do you think this is the right address?" "I don’t think so."
[ I ] It doesn’t make much sense when you think about it.
[ I/T ] Cloning animals has happened sooner than anyone thought (it would).
[ T ] I always thought he was a bit weird.
[ I ] What do you think of my new hat?
[ I ] I’ll always think of him as someone I can rely on.
[ + (that) clause ] I think (that) I’d better go now.
I still think of myself as (= believe I am) her friend.

think verb (USE REASON)

› [ I ] to use your mind to understand matters, make judgments, and solve problems:

I’ll have to think about this.
She was thinking about running for the Senate.
I can’t think of anything to say right now.

think verb (REMEMBER)

› [ I always + adv/prep ] to remember or imagine:

I can’t stop thinking about her.
I can picture her, I just can’t think of her name.
Think back to the early days of the Civil War.

Idiom(s)

not think much of someone/something
not think straight
think better of something
think for yourself
think long and hard
think nothing of something
think on your feet
think the world of someone/something
think twice

Phrasal verb(s)

think something over/through
think up something

(Definition of “think” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

"think" in Business English

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thinkverb [ I or T ]

uk ​ /θɪŋk/ us ​ thought, thought

› to have a particular idea, belief or opinion:

think (that) Some analysts think that rates will continue to rise.
I think the figures speak for themselves.
Have you seen the new ad? What do you think?

› to consider something in your mind:

He thought for a moment, and then agreed.
think about sth She was thinking about whether to take the job.
think big

› to have plans to be very successful or powerful:

Even small companies need to think big.
think on your feet

› to make a quick decision or give an answer quickly:

The ability to think on your feet is essential for this position.
think out of/outside the box

› to think using your imagination and having new ideas instead of traditional or expected ones:

Thinking outside the box could be enough to put a business ahead of its competitors.
think twice

› to think very carefully about something before taking a decision:

think twice about sth/about doing sth/before doing sth High fuel prices had caused car buyers to think twice about buying full-size sport utility vehicles.

Phrasal verb(s)

think sth of sth/sb
think sth out
think sth over

(Definition of “think” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

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think

Quite the contrary, we think we should move towards a much more limited list, and remove the most suspect additives from the list.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
We think that it is a little bit late and that it could have been launched earlier in the term, but at least we have got it now.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
Do they really think that sort of unfair competition, by lowering health and safety standards and weakening the rights of workers, would be acceptable?
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think it has been very timely.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think the work we have done, though not easy with a text of 2 000 pages, has brought real progress.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think that close attention must also be paid to the impact of the drilling issue and oil surveys on the negotiations.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think the outcry would be enormous.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I therefore think it is crucial for the environment that the ban on using poisonous heavy metals should be fully implemented and that we should not reduce manufacturers' liability.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think that we must do everything possible to increase consumer confidence in the electronic money age and not to build consumer foundations which have no stability.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English
I think we need to realise that what we are doing is actually forestalling the fears expressed here, with an agreement which, in this case, is purely about trade.
From Europarl Parallel Corpus - English

Blogs about "think"

Think long and hard; the language of decisions

by Liz Walter,

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