thing 
/ˈθɪŋ/ noun
plural things /ˈθɪŋ/ noun 1 [count] a : an object whose name is not known or stated
▪ What is that thing on the floor? ▪ That thing is loud. ▪ He is good at making things out of clay.
b : an object, animal, quality, etc., of any kind
▪ My doctor told me to avoid fatty things like donuts and potato chips. ▪ We must respect all living things. ▪ She loves all things chocolate. [=she loves anything made out of chocolate] ▪ Her voice is a thing of great beauty. [=her voice is very beautiful] ▪ The disease is said to be a thing of the past. [=the disease no longer exists] ▪ The drawer has pens, paper clips, and things (like that).
c : a particular event, occurrence, or situation
▪ Birth is a miraculous thing. ▪ It was the worst thing that could have happened. ▪ That sunset was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. ▪ Let's just forget about the whole thing and move on. ▪ The one thing I hate most is being lied to. ▪ It's a good thing (that) no one was injured. ▪ Becoming friends with your boss is not a bad thing. = Becoming friends with your boss is no bad thing. [=becoming friends with your boss could have good results] 2 things [plural] : objects that belong to a person : personal possessions or belongings
▪ Are all your things packed? ▪ I need a place to store my things. ▪ The children's things are always lying around on the floor. ▪ When she realized she was late for work, she quickly put on her things [=she put on her clothes, shoes, etc.] and left. 3 things [plural] : objects that are used for a particular activity
▪ Put the cleaning things away when you are done. ▪ She got out the cooking things to bake some cookies. 4 [count] : an action that is done, that will be done, or that needs to be done
▪ I have many things to do today. = I have lots of things that need to get done today. ▪ There are a few things we still have to deal with. ▪ There is actually one thing you can do to help. ▪ Let's get this thing over with quickly. ▪ That was a mean/cruel/kind/generous/thoughtful thing to do. ▪ They expect great things from her. [=they expect her to be very successful] ▪ The boy did the right thing and gave back the toy he took. ▪ It's no easy thing [=it's not easy] to raise three children by yourself. ▪ Cathy and I hit it off on our first date. One thing led to another, and pretty soon we were engaged. — sometimes used to say that one action is more serious, difficult, or important than another. ▪ It is one thing to say you're sorry but (it is) another (thing) to actually mean it. ▪ Planning a project is one thing; doing it is another. 5 [count] a : an activity
▪ What things do you like to do in your spare time? ▪ I like hiking, biking—that sort of thing. ▪ The students are allowed to do their own thing. [=do the activities that they want to do] ▪ Just do your thing [=do what you usually do] and pretend I'm not here.
b informal : an activity that is done by a particular group of people
▪ They spent the evening doing guy things. [=doing the kind of things that guys/men tend to like doing] ▪ You wouldn't understand, Dad. It's a girl thing.
c US, informal : an activity and everything that is related to it — usually singular ▪ He tried the college thing [=he tried going to college] but dropped out after the first semester. ▪ She's done with the whole rebellious teenager thing. [=she's done being a rebellious teenager]
d informal : an activity that someone enjoys or does well — usually singular ▪ Ballroom dancing is his thing, not mine. ▪ It's not really my (kind of) thing. 6 things [plural] : the conditions that exist at a particular time and in a particular place
▪ Things are improving. [=the situation is improving] ▪ How are things with the new baby? ▪ You're just making things more difficult for yourself. ▪ As things stand now [=in the current situation], we can't afford a new car. ▪ An apology would not change things between us. ▪ All things considered [=overall; when you think about everything that happened], the party went very well. 7 [count] : a fact or piece of information about something or someone
▪ He checks every little thing. [=detail] ▪ There are a lot of things you don't know about us. ▪ The thing I don't understand is why the car costs so much. ▪ When buying a car, price and performance are important things to consider. ▪ There is one more thing I'd like to ask you. ▪ Several things were discussed at the meeting. ▪ I'll give you a couple of days to think things over. [=to think about the situation and make a decision] ▪ We are always arguing, but the (funny) thing is, I think I love him. ▪ The thing is that [=it is important to understand that] you can never predict who will win. ▪ I make excellent chili. The thing is to pick the right peppers. [=to make excellent chili, you need to pick the right peppers] ▪ The thing with/about him [=an important characteristic to know about him] is that he is not reliable. 8 [count] : a thought, idea, or opinion
▪ He just says the first thing that pops into his mind. ▪ Don't say things you might regret later. ▪ That was a terrible thing to say. ▪ He had some interesting things to suggest. ▪ She always knows the right thing to say. 9 [singular] : a reason for something
▪ I can't stand being around him. For one thing, he smokes. For another, he's rude. ▪ OK, here's the thing: I don't have enough money to go to college. ▪ I'm sorry I didn't call you. The thing is, I've been really busy with work and school. ▪ The thing is that I haven't had time to call you. 10 [singular] a : a goal or purpose
▪ The thing is to get well, and then you can think about playing again.
b : a way of reaching or achieving a goal
▪ There is only one thing left for us to do: fight back! ▪ (Brit) There's only one thing for it: we must fight. 11 [count] informal — used for a person, animal, or object that causes strong feelings of affection or dislike in you ▪ You poor thing, you must be freezing. ▪ She's a pretty little thing, isn't she! ▪ Get that dirty thing out of my house! 12 [count] informal : a strong feeling of liking or disliking something or someone — usually singular — used with have ▪ She has a thing about snakes. [=she's afraid of snakes] ▪ He has always had this thing with flying. ▪ My teacher had this/a thing against me. [=my teacher disliked me for some unknown reason] ▪ He has a thing for [=he likes] women with red hair. 13 the thing a : the item that is the most fashionable or popular
▪ Long skirts are the thing to wear this season. ▪ It's the newest/latest thing in fashion.
b : the fashionable or proper way of behaving, talking, or dressing
▪ It's the thing this year to buy products made from recycled materials. ▪ Wearing athletic shoes with a suit is not quite the thing.
▪ What is that thing on the floor? ▪ That thing is loud. ▪ He is good at making things out of clay.
b : an object, animal, quality, etc., of any kind
▪ My doctor told me to avoid fatty things like donuts and potato chips. ▪ We must respect all living things. ▪ She loves all things chocolate. [=she loves anything made out of chocolate] ▪ Her voice is a thing of great beauty. [=her voice is very beautiful] ▪ The disease is said to be a thing of the past. [=the disease no longer exists] ▪ The drawer has pens, paper clips, and things (like that).
c : a particular event, occurrence, or situation
▪ Birth is a miraculous thing. ▪ It was the worst thing that could have happened. ▪ That sunset was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. ▪ Let's just forget about the whole thing and move on. ▪ The one thing I hate most is being lied to. ▪ It's a good thing (that) no one was injured. ▪ Becoming friends with your boss is not a bad thing. = Becoming friends with your boss is no bad thing. [=becoming friends with your boss could have good results]
▪ Are all your things packed? ▪ I need a place to store my things. ▪ The children's things are always lying around on the floor. ▪ When she realized she was late for work, she quickly put on her things [=she put on her clothes, shoes, etc.] and left.
▪ Put the cleaning things away when you are done. ▪ She got out the cooking things to bake some cookies.
▪ I have many things to do today. = I have lots of things that need to get done today. ▪ There are a few things we still have to deal with. ▪ There is actually one thing you can do to help. ▪ Let's get this thing over with quickly. ▪ That was a mean/cruel/kind/generous/thoughtful thing to do. ▪ They expect great things from her. [=they expect her to be very successful] ▪ The boy did the right thing and gave back the toy he took. ▪ It's no easy thing [=it's not easy] to raise three children by yourself. ▪ Cathy and I hit it off on our first date. One thing led to another, and pretty soon we were engaged. — sometimes used to say that one action is more serious, difficult, or important than another. ▪ It is one thing to say you're sorry but (it is) another (thing) to actually mean it. ▪ Planning a project is one thing; doing it is another.
▪ What things do you like to do in your spare time? ▪ I like hiking, biking—that sort of thing. ▪ The students are allowed to do their own thing. [=do the activities that they want to do] ▪ Just do your thing [=do what you usually do] and pretend I'm not here.
b informal : an activity that is done by a particular group of people
▪ They spent the evening doing guy things. [=doing the kind of things that guys/men tend to like doing] ▪ You wouldn't understand, Dad. It's a girl thing.
c US, informal : an activity and everything that is related to it — usually singular ▪ He tried the college thing [=he tried going to college] but dropped out after the first semester. ▪ She's done with the whole rebellious teenager thing. [=she's done being a rebellious teenager]
d informal : an activity that someone enjoys or does well — usually singular ▪ Ballroom dancing is his thing, not mine. ▪ It's not really my (kind of) thing.
▪ Things are improving. [=the situation is improving] ▪ How are things with the new baby? ▪ You're just making things more difficult for yourself. ▪ As things stand now [=in the current situation], we can't afford a new car. ▪ An apology would not change things between us. ▪ All things considered [=overall; when you think about everything that happened], the party went very well.
▪ He checks every little thing. [=detail] ▪ There are a lot of things you don't know about us. ▪ The thing I don't understand is why the car costs so much. ▪ When buying a car, price and performance are important things to consider. ▪ There is one more thing I'd like to ask you. ▪ Several things were discussed at the meeting. ▪ I'll give you a couple of days to think things over. [=to think about the situation and make a decision] ▪ We are always arguing, but the (funny) thing is, I think I love him. ▪ The thing is that [=it is important to understand that] you can never predict who will win. ▪ I make excellent chili. The thing is to pick the right peppers. [=to make excellent chili, you need to pick the right peppers] ▪ The thing with/about him [=an important characteristic to know about him] is that he is not reliable.
▪ He just says the first thing that pops into his mind. ▪ Don't say things you might regret later. ▪ That was a terrible thing to say. ▪ He had some interesting things to suggest. ▪ She always knows the right thing to say.
▪ I can't stand being around him. For one thing, he smokes. For another, he's rude. ▪ OK, here's the thing: I don't have enough money to go to college. ▪ I'm sorry I didn't call you. The thing is, I've been really busy with work and school. ▪ The thing is that I haven't had time to call you.
▪ The thing is to get well, and then you can think about playing again.
b : a way of reaching or achieving a goal
▪ There is only one thing left for us to do: fight back! ▪ (Brit) There's only one thing for it: we must fight.
▪ Long skirts are the thing to wear this season. ▪ It's the newest/latest thing in fashion.
b : the fashionable or proper way of behaving, talking, or dressing
▪ It's the thing this year to buy products made from recycled materials. ▪ Wearing athletic shoes with a suit is not quite the thing.
all/other things being equal
formal — used to say what should happen or be true if two situations, products, etc., are different in a specified way but not in other ways ▪ All things being equal, a person with a PhD should be getting a higher salary than someone with only a Master's degree.
all things to all people/men
: a person or thing that makes all people happy by giving them what they want or need
▪ It was clear that the senator was trying to be all things to all people in her campaign. ▪ The museum is all things to all people, young and old.
▪ It was clear that the senator was trying to be all things to all people in her campaign. ▪ The museum is all things to all people, young and old.
amount to the same thing
◊If two or more things amount to the same thing, there is very little difference between them.
▪ “Lying and cheating amount to the same thing,” she said.
▪ “Lying and cheating amount to the same thing,” she said.
a thing
: anything — used in negative statements ▪ I can't see a thing [=I can see nothing] without my glasses on. ▪ The guests will be here soon, and I don't have a thing (that is appropriate) to wear. ▪ Don't worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything. ▪ I can't do a thing to stop them! ▪ I got there early so I wouldn't miss a thing. ▪ The police couldn't get a thing out of him. ▪ She refused to tell me a thing about it. ▪ I haven't heard a thing from him since graduation. ▪ We haven't had a thing to eat all day. ▪ Forget what he said—it doesn't mean a thing. [=it has no meaning or importance; it's not true] ▪ None of this will mean a thing if we lose. ▪ She doesn't look a thing like [=anything like] her older sister. ▪ His new album doesn't sound a thing like his last one. [=his new album sounds nothing like his old one]
a thing or two
informal : some useful information
▪ I know a thing or two about cars. ▪ When it comes to cooking, she could teach you a thing or two.
▪ I know a thing or two about cars. ▪ When it comes to cooking, she could teach you a thing or two.
at the center of things — see 1center
be hearing things — see hear
chance would be a fine thing — see 1chance
first thing — see 1first
first things first — see 1first
have another thing coming
informal — used to say that someone is wrong or mistaken ▪ If he thinks he can fool me, he has another thing coming.
just the thing
: the thing that is most likely to be helpful
▪ Chicken soup is just the thing for a cold. ▪ I know just the thing to cheer you up—ice cream! ▪ He always does/says just the right thing to make me feel better.
▪ Chicken soup is just the thing for a cold. ▪ I know just the thing to cheer you up—ice cream! ▪ He always does/says just the right thing to make me feel better.
last thing — see 2last
make a big thing
informal ◊If you make a big thing (out) of (something) or make a big thing about (something), you act as if something is very important or serious when it is not.
▪ It was a minor error, but she made a big thing out of it. ▪ Don't make such a big thing about missing the bus: there'll be another one along in a minute.
▪ It was a minor error, but she made a big thing out of it. ▪ Don't make such a big thing about missing the bus: there'll be another one along in a minute.
no such thing 1 — used to say that a particular person, object, etc., does not really exist ▪ A perfect person? There's no such thing. — often + as ▪ There is no such thing as a unicorn. ▪ There is no such thing as bad publicity. All publicity is good. 2 — used to say that you did not say or do something that someone believes or says you did ▪ “Why did you invite her?” “I did no such thing. She just showed up.” ▪ “He said that you're not going with us.” “I said no such thing.”
of all things
— used to emphasize that the thing you are referring to is the thing you would least expect ▪ The coach is making the entire football team take, of all things, ballet classes.
one of those things
informal — used to refer to a bad or unfortunate experience that happened and to say that such experiences happen to everyone ▪ I missed the train and had to take a later one. It was just one of those things, I guess.
one thing after another
— used to complain about the large number of bad or unfortunate events that happen to someone ▪ It's one thing after another with him. Now he's in jail for drunk driving. ▪ First I locked my keys in the car, and then I spilled coffee all over myself. It was just one thing after another today!
push things — see 1push
see things — see 1see
sure thing — see 1sure
the real thing
: something that is genuine and not a copy or imitation : something that is truly valuable or important
▪ The diamond turned out to be the real thing. ▪ a substitute for the real thing ▪ You've done very well in your training. Let's just hope you're ready for the real thing.
▪ The diamond turned out to be the real thing. ▪ a substitute for the real thing ▪ You've done very well in your training. Let's just hope you're ready for the real thing.
(what) with one thing and another
informal — used to say that you have been very busy doing or dealing with many things ▪ What with one thing and another, I have very little free time.
