Definition Synonyms
Definition of ought - Reverso English Dictionary
Auxiliary verb
1.
probabilityexpressing a probable or expected situation
- She ought to be here by now.
2.
adviceindicates advisability or prudence in a situation
- You ought to wear a coat in this weather.
3.
ethicsindicating duty or correctness
- You ought to apologize for your mistake.
Expressions with ought
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used to indicate duty or correctness
You ought to apologize for your mistake.
express strong disapproval about something annoying or unfair
There ought to be a law against that noise!
expression stating that something should not happen or be done
Given the risks, it ought not be attempted without training.
expression used after a task meaning the result seems enough or acceptable
"That ought to do," she said after tightening the final screw.
strong way to say someone should feel bad for their actions
You ought to be ashamed for talking to your mother like that.
should not have done something
You hadn't ought to have lied to her.
Origin of ought
Old English, āgan (to own)
Terms with ought included in their meaning
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recommendation
ought to take action to prevent issues
polite reminder
someone ought to show appreciation, perhaps after forgetting
advice duty
people in general ought to do this
idiom
statement saying something is so bad it ought to be illegal
Examples of ought in a sentence
He ought to know the answer by now. You ought to apologize for your mistake. We ought to leave early to avoid traffic. We ought to help those in need. He ought to finish his homework.
View all translations of ought
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:devoir, falloir, ...
- German:sollte, solltest, ...
- Italian:dovrebbe, dovere, ...
- Spanish:debería, deberías, ...
- Portuguese:deveria, dever, ...
- Chinese:应该, ...
- Japanese:はず, べき, ...
- Arabic:من المفترض أن, يَنْبَغِي, ...
- Hebrew:אָמוּר, כְּדַאי, ...
- Russian:должно быть, следует, ...
- Ukrainian:мабуть, слід, ...
- Hindi:होना चाहिए, चाहिए, ...
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