should

noun

Something that ought to be the case as opposed to already being the case.

verb

Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.

Used to give advice or opinion that an action is, or would have been, beneficial or desirable.

Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').

Ought to; expressing expectation.

Indicates that something is expected to have happened or to be the case now.

Will be likely to (become or do something); indicates a degree of possibility or probability that the stated thing will happen or be true in the future.

Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation.

In questions, asks what is correct, proper, desirable, etc.

(informal) With verbs such as 'see' or 'hear', usually in the second person, used to point out something remarkable in either a good or bad way.

To suggest (that someone ought to do something, or that something ought to be the case) by, or as if by, using the word should.

(subjunctive) Used to form a variant of the present subjunctive, expressing a state or action that is hypothetical, potential, mandated, etc.

An alternative to would with first person subjects.

To make a statement of what ought to be true, as opposed to reality.

(formal or literary) Used to express a conditional outcome.

(formal or literary outside certain combinations such as with 'imagine' or 'think') Used to impart a tentative, conjectural or polite nuance.

Synonyms for should

ought mustn needv

Words related to should

shouldst cannot would could cann shall willn wouldst couldst mightn wantv bev willableadj shaltv mayn notadv canakin havev theyadj if behoovev didv lestn wannav dov aren necessarilyadv intendv wishv you

Synonyms & related words for should

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of should — including ought, must, need. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to should

Explore words related to should — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include shouldst, cannot, would, could, can, shall, will, wouldst. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for should

Common synonyms for should include ought, must, need — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.