Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The act or practice of one that thinks; thought.
- noun A way of reasoning; judgment.
- adjective Characterized by thought or thoughtfulness; rational.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The mental operation performed by one who thinks.
- noun The faculty of thought; the mind.
- noun That which is thought; a thought, idea, belief, opinion, notion, or the like.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The act of thinking; mode of thinking; imagination; cogitation; judgment.
- adjective Having the faculty of thought; cogitative; capable of a regular train of ideas.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Gerund ofthink . - verb Present participle of
think .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
- adjective endowed with the capacity to reason
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word thinking.
Examples
-
Thus, if Simmias is thinking about Socrates, a quality of Simmias corresponds to both the concepts ˜thinking of™ and ˜thought about™.
Medieval Theories of Relations Brower, Jeffrey 2009
-
I remember thinking that his debate performance was fine, his "problem" was that he was * thinking* before responding to a question, which gives off the appearance of being clumsy with words.
-
It would be thinking if we personify it a little, since it wouldn't exactly be *thinking*, I guess, OH MY GOD!
March 4th, 2006 asakiyume 2006
-
Is there a problem with my thinking or is *my thinking* itself a problem.
Archive 2004-12-01 Chirayu 2004
-
Is there a problem with my thinking or is *my thinking* itself a problem.
Thoughts Chirayu 2004
-
_Themistocles used to walk at night because (as he said) he couldn't sleep_.a. Verbs of _thinking_ and _saying_ often stand in the Subjunctive in causal clauses as though the act of thinking or saying, and not the contents of the thought or language, constituted the reason.
New Latin Grammar Charles E. Bennett
-
_I am thinking_ (this is said in a whisper, and in confidence -- of two kinds), _I am thinking that you don't admire him quite as much as you did three weeks ago_.
-
Escape was impossible; so, heavy and sad, I paced the seven miles, which separated Covey's house from St. Michael's -- thinking much by the solitary way -- averse to my condition; but _thinking_ was all I could do.
My Bondage and My Freedom Frederick Douglass 1856
-
* thinking thinking thinking* Crap, it just won't come to me.
Hot Air » Top Picks 2009
-
* thinking thinking thinking* Crap, it just won't come to me.
Hot Air » Top Picks 2009
-
Ink thinking is a style of journaling where you regularly chronicle events and thoughts to create a record for reflection over time.
Ink Thinking Improves UX-Decision Making Bruce Tognazzini 2022
oroboros commented on the word thinking
It started out innocently enough. I began to think at parties now and then --just to loosen up. Inevitably, though, one thought led to another, and soon I was more than just a social thinker.
I began to think alone -- "to relax," I told myself -- but I knew it wasn't true. Thinking became more and more important to me, and finally I was thinking all the time.
That was when things began to sour at home. One evening I turned off the TV and asked my wife about the meaning of life. She spent that night at her mother's.
I began to think on the job. I knew that thinking and employment don't mix, but I couldn't help myself. I began to avoid friends at lunchtime so I could read Thoreau, Muir, Confucius and Kafka. I would return to the office dizzied and confused, asking, "What is it exactly we are doing here?"
One day the boss called me in. He said, "Listen, I like you, and it hurts me to say this, but your thinking has become a real problem. If you don't stop thinking on the job, you'll have to find another job."
This gave me a lot to think about. I came home early after my conversation with the boss. "Honey," I confessed, "I've been thinking..."
"I know you've been thinking," she said, "and I want a divorce!"
But Honey, surely it's not that serious." "It is serious," she said, lower lip aquiver.
"You think as much as college professors and college professors don't make any money, so if you keep on thinking, we won't have any money!"
"That's a faulty syllogism," I said impatiently.
She exploded in tears of rage and frustration, but I was in no mood to deal with the emotional drama.
"I'm going to the library," I snarled as I stomped out the door.
I headed for the library, in the mood for some Nietzsche. I roared into the parking lot with NPR on the radio and ran up to the big glass doors.
They didn't open. The library was closed.
To this day, I believe that a Higher Power was looking out for me that night. Leaning on the unfeeling glass, whimpering for Zarathustra, a poster caught my eye, "Friend, is heavy thinking ruining your life?" it asked.
You probably recognize that line. It comes from the standard Thinkers Anonymous poster.
This is why I am what I am today: a recovering thinker.
I never miss a TA meeting. At each meeting we watch a non-educational video; last week it was "Porky's." Then we share experiences about how we avoided thinking since the last meeting.
August 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thinking
That sucks. Too much reading. Can't you just tell a joke or something?
August 29, 2007
reesetee commented on the word thinking
Wow. Thanks for sharing, oroboros. I know it must have been difficult.
But really...do you know any jokes?
August 29, 2007
oroboros commented on the word thinking
Yes, U. it's a reading challenge, I know. But the comment section was virgin territory. If you want, I'll delete it...
August 29, 2007
uselessness commented on the word thinking
Eh, I'm not really in the mood for deciding what I want. Too much thought required. I wish this site had pictures.
August 29, 2007
reesetee commented on the word thinking
You can't delete it. It's already a classic. :-)
August 29, 2007
seanahan commented on the word thinking
I score this +5 for Oroboros, the highest score I've ever given out.
August 30, 2007
oroboros commented on the word thinking
Thanks Seanahan, that's high praise indeed! :)
August 30, 2007