thing
gb/θˈɪŋ/ us/θˈɪŋ/
A1
Anglais
~ 200
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A1
entity
1
an object or entity
An object, fact, or idea when we do not know or do not want to say its name.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is a thing
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes overuse 'thing' instead of using a more specific word, which can make speech unclear.
Synonymes
object (Refers to a physical item; more specific than 'thing'.)
|
item (Often used for individual objects in a group; more formal than 'thing'.)
Antonymes
nothing (Indicates the absence of any object or entity.)
Collocations
the right thing
|the first thing
|good thing
|the only thing
Thèmes
daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Can you pass me that thing on the table?
- The best thing about this city is the food.
- There’s one thing I need to tell you.
- It’s a strange thing to say.
- The only thing we can do now is wait.
Exemples pédagogiques
- This is my favorite thing.
- I need one more thing from the shop.
- That thing is very old.
- The big thing is on the floor.
Nom
informal
B1
entity
2
a personal interest or specialty
Something a person likes a lot or does often.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone]'s thing is [activity]
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners confuse this with the general meaning of 'thing' and use it without the personal interest context.
Synonymes
specialty (More formal; suggests an area of expertise.)
|
passion (Stronger emotional connection than 'thing'.)
Antonymes
disinterest (Lack of interest in an activity or subject.)
Collocations
not my thing
|do your own thing
|make a thing of
Thèmes
daily life
|hobbies
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Cooking is really her thing.
- I’m not into hiking; it’s just not my thing.
- He made photography his thing after retiring.
- Dancing isn’t my thing, but I’ll try.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Soccer is my thing.
- Music is his thing.
- Drawing is not my thing.
- Traveling is her thing.
Nom
A2
entity
3
a situation or matter
A situation, event, or problem that people talk about or deal with.
Schéma d’usage :
the [adjective] thing is [clause]
Synonymes
issue (More formal; often refers to problems or topics for discussion.)
|
matter (Formal; refers to a subject under consideration.)
Antonymes
non-issue (Something that does not need to be considered or worried about.)
Collocations
the funny thing is
|the main thing is
|the important thing is
Thèmes
daily life
|news
|communication
|business
Exemples
- The strange thing is, no one saw him leave.
- The main thing is to stay calm.
- One thing led to another and we ended up in Paris.
- The funny thing about it was how quickly it ended.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The good thing is we can go home early.
- The bad thing is it will rain tomorrow.
- The important thing is to be happy.
- The strange thing is she didn’t call.
Nom
informal
B1
entity
4
a popular trend or fad
Something new that many people like for a short time.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] is a thing now
Synonymes
trend (More formal; often used in marketing and fashion contexts.)
|
fad (Implies short-lived popularity.)
Antonymes
tradition (A long-established custom or practice.)
Collocations
become a thing
|make something a thing
Thèmes
culture
|fashion
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
Exemples
- Is brunch still a thing?
- Yoga with goats became a thing last summer.
- Apparently, wearing socks with sandals is a thing now.
Exemples pédagogiques
- That game is a big thing now.
- Drinking tea with milk is a new thing here.
- Selfie sticks were a big thing last year.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
thing
API
GB/θˈɪŋ/
US/θˈɪŋ/
Syllabes et accentuation
thing (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (thing)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: thing
- Plural: thing, things
Famille de mots
Forms
things
noun
Core family
Negative and opposite forms
nothing
pronoun A1
Related words
thingy
noun B2
Advanced or less common
thingamajig
noun B2
Expressions
do your own thing
1/dˈu jˈʊɹ ˈoʊn θˈɪŋ/
idiom
informal
act independently in own style
To do what you want in your own way.
Exemples
- She always does her own thing, no matter what others say.
- I prefer to do my own thing instead of following trends.
make a big thing of (something)
1/mˈeɪk ə bˈɪɡ θˈɪŋ əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
informal
exaggerate the importance of something
To treat something as more important than it really is.
Exemples
- Don’t make a big thing of it—it was just a small mistake.
- They made a big thing of his late arrival.
one thing led to another
1/wˈʌn θˈɪŋ lˈɛd tə ənˈʌðɚ/
idiom
events happened in sequence to outcome
Used to explain that events happened one after another and caused something without giving details.
Exemples
- We met at a party, and one thing led to another—we’re now married.
- I started helping her move, and one thing led to another and I ended up painting her house.
the next big thing
1/ðə nˈɛkst bˈɪɡ θˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
expected future popular success
Something that people think will become very popular soon.
Exemples
- This new app could be the next big thing in social media.
- Everyone’s talking about him as the next big thing in music.
the real thing
1/ðə ɹˈil θˈɪŋ/
fixed phrase
genuine example of something
The true or best example of something, not fake.
Exemples
- This perfume isn’t cheap—it’s the real thing.
- After years of practice, she’s now the real thing in the art world.