Revised as of
4 Jan 2023
I suspect the word confusion over though versus thought is more of a proofreading issue . . . I hope!
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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Though | Thought |
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Part of Grammar: | |
Adverb; Conjunction, subordinating | Morpheme: think
Adjective 2; Noun 1, 2 Verb 2, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: thoughts Third person present verb: thinks |
Adverb: However (indicating that a factor qualifies or imposes restrictions on what was said previously) For all that Conjunction, subordinating:
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Adjective: Of or relating to thinking or thought 2 [Informal] Stimulating or challenging to the intellect or mind Noun:
The action or process of thinking
An act of thinking 2 Verb, intransitive:
To employ one’s mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation To have a certain thing as the subject of one’s thoughts To call something to one’s conscious mind To consider something as a possible action, choice, etc. To invent or conceive of something To have consideration or regard for someone Verb, transitive: To have or form in the mind in order to understand, know, or remember something else To consider for evaluation or for possible action upon To regard as specified To believe to be true of someone or something To analyze or evolve rationally To have as a plan or intention |
Examples: | |
Adverb: I was hunting for work. Jobs were scarce though. Our team lost. It was a good game though. “Have you ever been to Australia?” “No. I’d like to, though.” Conjunction, subordinating: You will be informed of its progress, slow though that may be. Her first name was Rose, though no one called her that. He behaved as though he weren’t there. Even though he was bigger, he never looked down on me. |
Adjective: It was a carefully thought-out argument. “That was well thought, Jeremy.” The Thought Police were charged with uncovering and punishing “thoughtcrime” and thought-criminals. Thought control appears to have been a feature of this last presidential election. Noun: I asked him if he had any thoughts on how it had happened. Mrs. Oliver’s first thought was to get help. He’s very much in our thoughts and prayers. She hadn’t given a thought to Max for some time. He had given up all thoughts of making Manhattan his home. Sophie sat deep in thought. The freedom of thought and action suited him. It was in the traditions of Western thought. I haven’t given it much thought. He is carrying on the life of a single man, with no thought for me. I went for a walk and had a thought. Verb, intransitive: I had thought about you. In fact, we thought of nothing else. She hadn’t thought of the old days in years. She thought about cutting her hair. We thought of a new plan. She always thought of others first. Verb, transitive: He thought the deal over and decided against it. He thought me unkind. My family thought evil of the neighbors. He very carefully thought the problem out. I thought that I would go. |
Derivatives: | |
Adjective: thought-provoking, thoughtful, thoughtless Adverb: thoughtfully, thoughtlessly Noun: thought-reader, thoughtcrime, thoughtfulness, thoughtlessness |
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Phrasal Verb | |
thought back thought on thought something out thought something over thought something through thought something up |
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History of the Word: | |
Old English thēah is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch and the German doch. It is superseded in Middle English by forms from the Old Norse thó and thau. |
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Though versus Thought
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: thought
Word Reference.com: thought
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Brainwashing is Cesarleal’s own work and is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL license, via Wikimedia Commons.