Meaning
An object, when you do not say its name; a job to do; an idea.
Test yourself on thing
Three quick questions. No account needed.
Know this word? Create a free account to track it.
Word origin
From Old English thing, which first meant a meeting or matter people talked about, then any object.
- Origin
- Old English
- Root
- thing
Grammar
Examples
?
.
I have a lot of jobs to do today.
.
"Thing" is one of the most useful words in English. You can use it for almost any object, idea, or matter when you do not have a better word ready.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
(21)One Little Thing
1 min read · Core 1000
Has Anyone Seen a Coat?
2 min read · Core 1000
The First Day at Work
3 min read · Core 1000
Market Morning
3 min read · Core 1000
Before the Doors Open
4 min read · Core 5000
One Sheep Short
4 min read · Core 5000
The Boat in the Garden
4 min read · Core 5000
The Clock in the Hall
4 min read · Core 5000
The Letter She Never Sent
4 min read · Core 5000
The Passenger
4 min read · Core 5000
Two Gardens
4 min read · Core 5000
The Box in the Wood
5 min read · Core 5000
The First Letter
5 min read · Core 5000
The Midnight Piano
5 min read · Core 5000
The Photograph
5 min read · Core 5000
The Register
5 min read · Core 5000
The Suggestion Box
5 min read · Core 5000
The Swimming Lesson
5 min read · Core 5000
The Tuesday Visitor
5 min read · Core 5000
Two Tickets to Paris
5 min read · Core 5000
The Last Light
8 min read · Core 5000
Grammar articles
(52)English adjective order: opinion, size, age, shape, colour
Advanced English articles: zero article and the with places
Articles in English: a, an, the and the zero article
As vs like in English: the difference, with examples
Asking for directions in English: turn left, go straight on
British vs American English Grammar: got, gotten and more
Have something done and get something done in English
Cleft sentences in English: it-clefts and wh-clefts
Clothes in English: trousers, a shirt and a pair of shoes
Comparatives and superlatives in English: rules and chart
Compound nouns in English: is car park one word or two?
Countable and uncountable nouns in English: rules and list
This, that, these and those in English: chart and examples
Discourse Markers in English: well, anyway, actually
Do and does in English: questions and negatives
Dummy subjects in English: it's raining and there is
Emphasis in English: emphatic do, my own and the very
For, since, already, yet and still in English, with examples
Gradable and ungradable adjectives in English, with examples
Have got in English: I've got a brother (chart and examples)
Hedging and vague language in English: sort of, a bit, -ish
English Question Words and Interrogative Pronouns
Inversion and subject-verb-object word order in English
Mixed conditionals in English: rules, examples and exercises
Modals of deduction in English: must, might, could, can't
Nominalisation in English: turning verbs into nouns
Ordering and shopping in English: I'd like a coffee, please
Participle clauses in English: -ing, -ed and having done
Advanced passive in English: get-passive, it is said that
Passive voice in English: rules, examples and when to use it
Past continuous in English: was/were + -ing, with examples
Past modals in English: should have, could have, must have
Phrasal-prepositional verbs in English: 16 with examples
English phrasal verbs exercises with answers: 80 questions
Phrasal verbs with come in English: 13 meanings, examples
Phrasal verbs with get in English: 16 meanings, examples
Phrasal verbs with look in English: 12 meanings, examples
Phrasal verbs with put in English: 13 meanings, examples
Phrasal Verbs in English: Meaning, Rules and Examples
Plurals in English: one cat, two cats (rules and chart)
My, your, his, her: possessives in English (chart)
Prepositions in English: in, on, at and more, with examples
Present perfect in English: rules, for and since, examples
Present simple in English: rules, -s ending and examples
Reflexive and reciprocal pronouns in English, with examples
Relative clauses in English: defining and non-defining
So, such, too and enough in English: rules and examples
The 12 English tenses: one chart with forms and examples
There is and there are in English: rules and examples
To be in English: am, is and are (chart and examples)
Used to, would and be used to in English: past habits
Prefixes in English: un-, in-, im-, ir-, dis-, mis- rules
Add to review queue
Track this word in your spaced-repetition queue and be tested on it at the right interval.
Meet this word in a story
Every course has graded stories written only with words you have been taught, plus grammar drills, a games arcade and printable worksheets. Chapters 1 and 2 are free.
Chapters 1 and 2 free, forever. Plus: 7 days free, then $5 a month for all eleven languages.
English · Free printables
thing: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the English word "thing" (An object, when you do not say its name; a job to do; an idea.): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
This word is taught in chapter 1, lesson 19: My, your and good things.