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thought · noun /θɔːt/Full view
Nouns: thought, thoughtfulness
Adjectives: thoughtful, thoughtless
Adverbs: thoughtfully, thoughtlessly
thought (IDEA)
B1 C an idea or opinion or an image that comes into your mind
Dictionary examples:

Do you have any thoughts about/on where you want to spend Christmas?

The thought of seeing her again filled him with happiness.

If you could let me have your thoughts on that report by Friday, I'd be grateful.

Learner example:

Her thoughts were interrupted by Ben, who asked if she wanted to go for a walk with him. (Preliminary English Test; B1; Russian)

thought (THINKING)
B2 U the activity of thinking, or when you think about something carefully
Dictionary examples:

She sat staring at the picture, deep in thought.

You'll need to give the matter some thought.

Learner example:

I am concerned so please give it some thought. (First Certificate in English; B2; Swedish)

thought (CARE)
C2 no plural when you do something that shows you care about someone
Dictionary example:

Thanks for the card - it was a really kind thought.

Learner example:

[T]he greeting cards she sent made our woman more and more angry, rather than thankful for the kind thought. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Italian)

train of thought
C2 a series of connected thoughts or ideas which come or happen one after the other
Dictionary example:

I was interrupted and lost my train of thought.

Learner example:

Stevens's ideas on dignity become very clear if we follow his train of thought through the book and if we examine closely the events which encourage him into further discussion of this issue. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Catalan)

spare a thought for sb
C2 to think about someone who is in a bad situation
Dictionary example:

Spare a thought for all the people who have lost their homes.

Learner example:

At this point, we should spare a thought for those who are not involved in the sport[s] world. (Certificate of Proficiency in English; C2; Spanish)

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