ought[verb]Synonyms: want, must, should
[noun]Synonyms: obligation, charge, commitment, committal, devoir, duty, must, need, right
[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲
ought verb.
[ɔ:t] As aux. pres. & pa. (all persons) ought; neg. ought not, (
informal) oughtn't
['ɔ:t(ǝ)nt]; no other parts used exc. pa. pple (
non-standard) ought. In senses 5, 6 also (
Scot.) aucht
[ɔ:xt],
aught.
[Old English āhte pa. t. of OWE.]I. 1. Pa. t. & pple of
OWE.
OE. [TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲
ought II. aux. Foll. by
to be, to do; (arch.)
be, do; also without inf., or foll. by
to only.
2. As pres. t. (indic. & subjunct.):
a. Am (is, are) bound or under moral obligation; it is my (your, his, their, etc.) duty; it is right or proper for me (you, him, them, etc.). Cf. earlier
OWE 2.
ME.■ Browning How ought I address thee, how ought I revere thee? ■ E. Waugh You ought to think yourself lucky..to get a good position like that. ■ G. Vidal If it benefits..people to confiscate your father's money then it ought to be confiscated. ■ F. King The kind of person who tells you, not what you want to do, but what you ought to do.b. Am (is, are) advised or recommended; am (is, are) expected or assumed, it is probable that I (you, he, they, etc.) will.
ME.■ E. Nesbit Father says so, and he ought to know. ■ T. S. Eliot You ought to see your face!c. impers. Is due or proper to, behoves, befits, (a person)
to do, do.
ME-E16.■ Chaucer Hym oughte now to have the lesse peyne.3. As pa. t. (indic. & subjunct.); now only with perf. inf. (
ought to have done) or (
non-standard) with
did (
did ought), exc. in reported speech, action, etc., and in conditional clauses:
a. Was (were) bound or under moral obligation; it was my (your, his, their, etc.) duty; it was right or proper for me (you, him, them, etc.).
ME.■ J. Conrad He never offered to take Winnie to theatres, as such a nice gentleman ought to have done. ■ D. L. Sayers I did ought to have spoke up at the time. ■ I. Murdoch Ought I to have told her about Daisy, Tim wondered. Guardian He suggested that they ought to be revealing how much they earn.b. Was (were) advised or recommended; was (were) expected or assumed, it was probable that I (you, he, they, etc.) would.
ME.■ V. Woolf They ought to have been asleep hours ago. ■ J. Fowles He ought to have looked sallow.c. impers. Was due or proper to, behoved, befitted, (a person)
to do, do.
ME-L15.■ Malory I have no thynge done but that me ought for to doo. [TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲
ought III. As full verb, with inflections.
4. verb intrans. Be under moral obligation; have as a duty; be advised. Foll. by
to do, to be.
LME-M17.■ A. Cokaine The cause is common to all, Kings oughting not to suffer usurpation.5. verb trans. Have to pay; =
OWE 4.
Scot. M16.■ Sir W. Scott We aught him the siller, and will pay him wi' our convenience.6. verb trans. Possess; =
OWE 1,
OWN verb 2.
Scot. L18.■ R. L. Stevenson There's naebody but you and me that ought the name.Phrases:
no better than one ought to be: see
BETTER adjective.
ought not am (is, are) bound not to, am (is, are) obliged not to, etc.
■ oughtness noun (a) moral obligation or duty
L19. [TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲