Phrase guide

thinking cap

noun · 2 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.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ ˌkæp/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A metaphorical state of focused thinking or concentration, invoked to encourage problem-solving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: humorous, idiomatic

Examples

  • This project looks like it will be a real challenge – put on your thinking cap!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a state in which one thinks

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: state of mind, frame of mind

History

Etymology

Probably by analogy with considering cap, which is attested from the early 17th century.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 開動腦筋 /开动脑筋 (kāidòng nǎojīn) — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Chinese Mandarin: 專注思考 /专注思考 (zhuānzhù sīkǎo) — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Danish: tænkehat — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Finnish: mietintämyssy — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Italian: pensatoio — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Serbo-Croatian: mislilačka kapa — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Spanish: gorra de pensar — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Swedish: tankehatt — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem
  • Swedish: tänkarhatt — metaphorical piece of headgear for solving a problem