THOUGHT Synonyms: 105 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'thought' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of thought are conception , concept , idea , impression , and notion . While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining. // commit your thoughts to paper

Q: When might 'concept' be a better fit than 'thought'?

The words concept and thought are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be. // a society with no concept of private property

Q: How do 'conception' and 'concept' relate to one another, in the sense of 'thought'?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept ; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result. // our changing conception of what constitutes art

Q: When is it sensible to use 'idea' instead of 'thought'?

Although the words idea and thought have much in common, idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed. // innovative ideas // my idea of paradise

Q: When would 'impression' be a good substitute for 'thought'?

The synonyms impression and thought are sometimes interchangeable, but impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses. // the first impression is of soaring height

Q: In what contexts can 'notion' take the place of 'thought'?

While in some cases nearly identical to thought , notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental. // you have the oddest notions

thought 1 of 2

noun

ˈthȯt

Definition of thought next

as in consideration

a careful weighing of the reasons for or against something I'll give your request some thought and then let you know what my decision is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

short shrift

as in idea

something imagined or pictured in the mind I just had a thought: what if we both pitched in and bought him one big present instead of two smaller presents for his birthday?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

thought

2 of 2

verb

past tense of think

as in believed

to have as an opinion I think we should wait for someone to come help us out

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun thought contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of thought are conception, concept, idea, impression, and notion. While all these words mean "what exists in the mind as a representation (as of something comprehended) or as a formulation (as of a plan)," thought is likely to suggest the result of reflecting, reasoning, or meditating rather than of imagining.

commit your thoughts to paper

When might concept be a better fit than thought?

The words concept and thought are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, concept may apply to the idea formed by consideration of instances of a species or genus or, more broadly, to any idea of what a thing ought to be.

a society with no concept of private property

How do conception and concept relate to one another, in the sense of thought?

Conception is often interchangeable with concept; it may stress the process of imagining or formulating rather than the result.

our changing conception of what constitutes art

When is it sensible to use idea instead of thought?

Although the words idea and thought have much in common, idea may apply to a mental image or formulation of something seen or known or imagined, to a pure abstraction, or to something assumed or vaguely sensed.

innovative ideas

my idea of paradise

When would impression be a good substitute for thought?

The synonyms impression and thought are sometimes interchangeable, but impression applies to an idea or notion resulting immediately from some stimulation of the senses.

the first impression is of soaring height

In what contexts can notion take the place of thought?

While in some cases nearly identical to thought, notion suggests an idea not much resolved by analysis or reflection and may suggest the capricious or accidental.

you have the oddest notions

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of thought

Noun

Want to send thoughts or suggestions to Data Sheet? —

Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024 Want to stay up to date on IndieWire’s film reviews and critical thoughts? —

Kambole Campbell, IndieWire, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

The chain-of-thought approach forces the AI to take more computational cycles, working stepwise on a systematic basis, and calculate answers to a more extensive degree. —

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 The measurement is thought to be a more accurate predictor of disease risk than body mass index (BMI). —

Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 4 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for thought

Recent Examples of Synonyms for thought

Noun

The bad news then is that the preponderance of users is blindly unaware of this rather significant consideration when using generative AI, namely that the answers are not 100% certain all the time.

Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
But those who can effectively make the business case using data are the ones who are usually able to get additional budget priority and consideration.

Alena Botros, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024