| / English Dictionary |
THING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A separate and self-contained entity
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
physical entity (an entity that has physical existence)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thing"):
content; depicted object; subject (something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation)
body of water; water (the part of the earth's surface covered with water (such as a river or lake or ocean))
inessential; nonessential (anything that is not essential)
essential; necessary; necessity; requirement; requisite (anything indispensable)
part; piece (a portion of a natural object)
reservoir; source (anything (a person or animal or plant or substance) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies)
building block; unit (a single undivided natural thing occurring in the composition of something else)
variable (something that is likely to vary; something that is subject to variation)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An action
Example:
how could you do such a thing?
Classified under:
Nouns denoting acts or actions
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
action (something done (usually as opposed to something said))
Sense 3
Meaning:
An artifact
Example:
how does this thing work?
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
artefact; artifact (a man-made object taken as a whole)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thing"):
wobbler (something that wobbles)
variation (an artifact that deviates from a norm or standard)
standby (something that can be relied on when needed)
snorter (something that is extraordinary or remarkable or prominent)
pill (something that resembles a tablet of medicine in shape or size)
flagship (the chief one of a related group)
Sense 4
Meaning:
An entity that is not named specifically
Example:
I couldn't tell what the thing was
Classified under:
Nouns denoting man-made objects
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
entity (that which is perceived or known or inferred to have its own distinct existence (living or nonliving))
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thing"):
change (a thing that is different)
freshener (anything that freshens)
horror (something that inspires horror; something horrible)
crackerjack; jimdandy; jimhickey (something excellent of its kind)
pacifier (anything that serves to pacify)
security blanket (anything that an adult person uses to reduce anxiety)
stinker (anything that gives off an offensive odor (especially a cheap cigar))
whacker; whopper (something especially big or impressive of its kind)
Sense 5
Meaning:
Any attribute or quality considered as having its own existence
Example:
the thing I like about her is ...
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
attribute (an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of an entity)
Sense 6
Meaning:
A vaguely specified concern
Example:
things are going well
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
concern (something that interests you because it is important or affects you)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thing"):
least (something that is of no importance)
Sense 7
Meaning:
A special abstraction
Example:
things of the heart
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
abstract; abstraction (a concept or idea not associated with any specific instance)
Sense 8
Meaning:
A special objective
Example:
the thing is to stay in bounds
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
aim; object; objective; target (the goal intended to be attained (and which is believed to be attainable))
Sense 9
Meaning:
A statement regarded as an object
Example:
how can you say such a thing?
Classified under:
Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
statement (a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc)
Sense 10
Meaning:
An event
Example:
a funny thing happened on the way to the...
Classified under:
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
happening; natural event; occurrence; occurrent (an event that happens)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "thing"):
feast (something experienced with great delight)
Sense 11
Meaning:
A persistent illogical feeling of desire or aversion
Example:
she has a thing about him
Classified under:
Nouns denoting feelings and emotions
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
feeling (the experiencing of affective and emotional states)
Sense 12
Meaning:
A special situation
Example:
it is a remarkable thing
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Hypernyms ("thing" is a kind of...):
situation; state of affairs (the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time)
Context examples:
Let me see that I excite the sympathy of some existing thing; do not deny me my request!
(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)
"There's only one thing wrong with the programme," he said aloud.
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
The outward or visible aspect of a person or thing.
(Appearance, NCI Thesaurus)
A question about whether an individual is or was able to remember things.
(Able to Remember, NCI Thesaurus)
“It’s a very delicate thing,” said he.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Does your child start but not finish things?
(Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, NIH: National Institute of Mental Health)
Asthma is the No. 1 chronic disease in children and some of the causes such as genetics and viral infections during childhood are things we can't prevent.
(Obesity May Be to Blame for Quarter of Asthma Cases in Children, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
At first this might seem like a good thing.
(Striped maple trees often change mating types, with females more likely to die, National Science Foundation)
Of course this was a bad thing for the Scarecrow.
(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)
But the old woman called out, “Come and eat your suppers, and let the thing be till tomorrow; the finger won’t run away.”
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
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