ought
Plural: oughts
Verb
Verb Forms: ought, oughting, oughts
- To owe; typically used as a modal verb indicating duty or advisability.
- simple past of owe
- Indicating duty or obligation.
- Indicating advisability or prudence.
- Indicating desirability.
- Indicating likelihood or probability.
Pron
- Alternative spelling of aught; anything
Adv
- Alternative spelling of aught; at all, to any degree.
Noun
- A statement of what ought to be the case as contrasted with what is the case.
- Alternative spelling of aught; cipher, zero, nought.
Examples
- Do you think we ought to leave now?
- He ought to have played that bingo, but hesitated and missed the opportunity.
- He ought to read the book; it was very good.
- I ought to vote in the coming election.
- We ought to arrive by noon if we take the motorway, shouldn't we?
- You ought to always stand back from the edge of the platform.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English oughte, aughte, aȝte, ahte, from Old English āhte, first and third person singular past tense of Old English āgan (“to own, possess”), equivalent to owe + -t.
Cognate with Sanskrit ईश्वर (īśvará, “capable of, liable”).
Synonyms
be supposed to, should
Scrabble Score: 9
ought: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordought: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
ought: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary