Thing — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun /ˈthiŋ/

Meaning & Definition of Thing

Thing (noun)

  1. an object or entity not precisely designated or capable of being designated
  2. an inanimate object distinguished from a living being
  3. a separate and distinct individual quality, fact, idea, or usually entity

Thing (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something material that can be perceived by the senses

    "can you hand me that thing over there?"

    similar: object
    related: article, item, piece, being, entity, substance, commodity, good, ware, dingus, doohickey, thingamabob, thingamajig, thingummy, whatchamacallit, whatnot, accessory, accompaniment, bauble, curio, gaud, gewgaw, knickknack, novelty, ornamental, spangle, token, trinket

  2. something produced by physical or intellectual effort

    "just the latest thing from her fertile imagination"

    similar: affair, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production, work, yield
    related: article, commodity, entry, object, goods, line, merchandise, wares, handcraft, handicraft, aftereffect, aftermath, conclusion, consequence, corollary, development, effect, issue, outcome, result, resultant, sequel, sequence, upshot, by-product, derivative, offshoot, offspring, outgrowth, residual, side effect, spin-off

  3. one that has a real and independent existence

    "the thing to which the subject of the sentence refers"

    similar: being, commodity, entity, existent, individual, individuality, integer, object, reality, something, substance
    related: body, subject, material, matter, quantity, stuff
    near: nonentity

  4. something done by someone

    "one of the things you can do is to help me clean up"

    similar: act, action, deed, doing, exploit, feat
    related: accomplishment, achievement, attainment, adventure, experience, emprise, enterprise, initiative, undertaking, handiwork, performance, work, stunt, trick, activity, dealing, maneuver, measure, move, operation, procedure, proceeding, step, tactic, coaction

  5. something that happens

    "the accident was just one of those things that can happen anywhere"

    similar: affair, circumstance, episode, event, hap, happening, incident, occasion, occurrence
    related: coincidence, co-occurrence, fluke, freak, landmark, milepost, milestone, page, phenomenon, turning point, adventure, experience, time, happenchance, happenstance, accident, crisis, emergency, juncture, achievement, deed, exploit, feat, news, tidings

  6. something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

    "the important thing is that we get the project back on schedule"

    similar: aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, end, goal, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, name of the game
    related: grail, holy grail, plot, project, scheme, desire, hope, mind, wish, nirvana, destination, terminus
    near: means, method, way

  7. something to be dealt with

    "I have lots of things to do this afternoon"

    similar: affair, business, matter, ball of wax
    related: consideration, issue, problem, crisis, crossroad(s), crunch, emergency, exigency, flash point, head, juncture, strait, zero hour, concern, trouble, worry, care, lookout, responsibility, deadlock, halt, impasse, stalemate, standstill, corner, fix, hole, hot water, jam, pickle, pinch, predicament, scrape, spot

  8. transportable items that one owns

    "gather your things and get out"

    similar: belongings, chattels, duds, effects, gear, goods, holdings, movables, paraphernalia, personal effects, personal property, personalty, plunder (chiefly dialect), possession, stuff
    related: treasures, valuables, appointments, fixtures, furnishings, estate, property, tangibles, collateral
    near: immovables, real estate

  9. something for which a person shows a special talent

    "math just isn't my thing"

    similar: forte, long suit, métier, speciality, specialty, strong suit
    related: area, arena, bailiwick, business, circle, demesne, department, discipline, domain, fief, fiefdom, field, line, precinct, province, realm, sphere, terrain, element, aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, gift, knack, talent, pursuit, racket, vocation, inclination, leaning, partiality, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency

  10. a member of the human race

    "you poor thing, you must be exhausted"

    similar: baby, being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Related Entry: Sure thing (noun)

Sure thing is a different word from Thing. The synonyms below are for sure thing, not for thing.

  1. one that is certain to succeed

    "he's a sure thing for the promotion: he's the most qualified candidate by far"

    similar: cinch, lock, shoo-in, slam dunk, lead-pipe cinch
    related: certainty, inevitability, eventuality, foregone conclusion
    near: dark horse, long shot

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Thing

The most common words with a similar meaning to Thing:

Chiefly dialect: plunder
British: bod
object, affair, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production, work, yield, being, commodity, entity, existent, individual, individuality, integer, reality, something, substance, act, action, deed, doing, exploit, feat, circumstance, episode, event, hap, happening, incident, occasion, occurrence, aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design

Related Words for Thing

article, item, piece, good, ware, dingus, doohickey, thingamabob, thingamajig, thingummy, whatchamacallit, whatnot, accessory, accompaniment, bauble, curio, gaud, gewgaw, knickknack, novelty, ornamental, spangle, token, trinket, entry, line, merchandise, wares, handcraft, handicraft

Near Antonyms of Thing

nonentity, means, method, way, immovables, real estate, animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Origin & Etymology of Thing

Middle English, from Old English, thing, assembly; akin to Old High German ding thing, assembly, Goth theihs time

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Thing

Words & Phrases Containing Thing

thing-in-itself, sure thing, amount to the same thing, another thing, a sure thing, a thing devoutly to be wished, a thing, a thing of the past

Frequently Asked Questions about Thing

What does "Thing" mean?

"Thing" means an object or entity not precisely designated or capable of being designated. As a noun, it is defined as: an object or entity not precisely designated or capable of being designated. It has 10 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Thing"?

Other words for "Thing" include object, affair, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce and product. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Thing" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Thing"?

There are 307 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Thing". Common alternatives include object, affair, fruit, handiwork, labor, output, produce, product, production and work.

How do you use "Thing" in a sentence?

Examples of "Thing" in a sentence: "can you hand me that thing over there?"; "just the latest thing from her fertile imagination"; "the thing to which the subject of the sentence refers".

Is "Thing" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Thing" is a noun.

Is "Thing" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Thing" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Thing"?

"Thing" is pronounced /ˈthiŋ/.

What is the origin of the word "Thing"?

"Thing" comes from Middle English, from Old English, thing, assembly; akin to Old High German ding thing, assembly, Goth theihs time. First known use: before 12th century.