adv · noun · pron · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
simple past of owe
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, obsolete, past
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
Indicating duty or obligation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: auxiliary, dialectal, formal
Examples
I ought to vote in the coming election.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
Indicating advisability or prudence.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: auxiliary, dialectal, formal
Examples
You ought to always stand back from the edge of the platform.
Do you think we ought to leave now?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: should
Antonyms: none provided
8
verb
Meaning 8
Indicating desirability.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: auxiliary, dialectal, formal
Examples
He ought to read the book; it was very good.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: should
Antonyms: none provided
9
verb
Meaning 9
Indicating likelihood or probability.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: auxiliary, dialectal, formal
Examples
We ought to arrive by noon if we take the motorway, shouldn't we?
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: should
Antonyms: none provided
History
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”).
Across languages
Translations
101 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Belarusian:
паві́нен
(pavínjen)
— indicating duty or obligation
Belarusian:
паві́нна
(pavínna)
— indicating duty or obligation
Belarusian:
паві́нны
(pavínny)
— indicating duty or obligation
Danish:
burde
— indicating duty or obligation
Dutch:
moeten
— indicating duty or obligation
Dutch:
behoren
— indicating duty or obligation
Esperanto:
devi
— indicating duty or obligation
Finnish:
pitää
— indicating duty or obligation
Finnish:
tulla
— indicating duty or obligation
Finnish:
kuulua
— indicating duty or obligation
French:
devoir
— indicating duty or obligation
Galician:
deber
— indicating duty or obligation
Galician:
ter de
— indicating duty or obligation
German:
sollen
— indicating duty or obligation
Greek:
θα έπρεπε
(tha éprepe)
— indicating duty or obligation
Greek:
όφειλε
(ófeile)
— indicating duty or obligation
Ancient Greek:
ὀφείλω
(opheílō)
— indicating duty or obligation
Hungarian:
kell
— indicating duty or obligation
Italian:
dovere
— indicating duty or obligation
Khmer:
គួរតែ
(kuə tae)
— indicating duty or obligation
Latin:
dēbeō
— indicating duty or obligation
Occitan:
dever
— indicating duty or obligation
Occitan:
deure
— indicating duty or obligation
Persian:
باید
(bâyad)
— indicating duty or obligation
Polish:
powinien
— indicating duty or obligation
Portuguese:
dever
— indicating duty or obligation
Russian:
до́лжен
(dólžen)
— indicating duty or obligation
Russian:
обя́зан
(objázan)
— indicating duty or obligation
Serbo-Croatian:
trebati
— indicating duty or obligation
Serbo-Croatian:
morati
— indicating duty or obligation
Lower Sorbian:
dejaś
— indicating duty or obligation
Spanish:
deber
— indicating duty or obligation
Swedish:
borde
— indicating duty or obligation
Ukrainian:
пови́нен
(povýnen)
— indicating duty or obligation
Ukrainian:
зобов'я́заний
(zobovʺjázanyj)
— indicating duty or obligation
Ukrainian:
му́сить
(músytʹ)
— indicating duty or obligation
Vietnamese:
cần
— indicating duty or obligation
Vietnamese:
phải
— indicating duty or obligation
Welsh:
dylu
— indicating duty or obligation
Yiddish:
זאָלן
(zoln)
— indicating duty or obligation
Danish:
burde
— indicating advisability or prudence
Finnish:
pitää
— indicating advisability or prudence
French:
devoir
— indicating advisability or prudence
German:
sollen
— indicating advisability or prudence
Greek:
πρέπει
(prépei)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Hungarian:
kellene
— indicating advisability or prudence
Hungarian:
jobb lenne
— indicating advisability or prudence
Hungarian:
érdemes lenne
— indicating advisability or prudence
Italian:
dovere
— indicating advisability or prudence
Latin:
dēbeō
— indicating advisability or prudence
Persian:
بهتر بودن
(behtar budan)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Persian:
باید
(bâyad)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Polish:
powinien
— indicating advisability or prudence
Portuguese:
dever
— indicating advisability or prudence
Russian:
сле́довать
(slédovatʹ)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Russian:
ну́жно
(núžno)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Russian:
быть
(bytʹ)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Serbo-Croatian:
trebati
— indicating advisability or prudence
Spanish:
deber
— indicating advisability or prudence
Swedish:
borde
— indicating advisability or prudence
Ukrainian:
слід
(slid)
— indicating advisability or prudence
Ukrainian:
ва́рто
(várto)
— indicating advisability or prudence
