Synonyms for thing
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Matter
matter, deed, job informal, concern, act, affair, circumstance, event, action, business, occurrence, transaction, hickey, widget, dingus, doodad, doodah UK, hootenanny dated
2. Stuff — A word, symbol, sign, or other referent that can be used to refer to any entity
Definitions
- n. 1
A word, symbol, sign, or other referent that can be used to refer to any entity.
- n. 2
That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept.
Related words
- Word family
- things thingamajig thingy thingification thingify thing-in-itself thingism thinglike
- Phrases
- sure thing real thing close thing living thing near thing soft thing another thing do one's thing
- Other spellings
- ting
Forms
- Plural
- things → matters, deeds, jobs, concerns…
Example sentences
- matter You have no business complaining about the matter.
- act Say what you will, I will act on my own judgement.
- concern Money is without a doubt my most pressing concern.
- circumstance Tom was an innocent victim of circumstance.
- being The very idea of being sent abroad delighted them.
- something Press the red button if something strange happens.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| thing | rising | |
| matter | steady | |
| act | falling | |
| concern | steady | |
| circumstance | steady | |
| being | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- job1, act1, bag1
- 4 letters
- body2, item2, deed1, yoke1
- 5 letters
- being2, event2, stuff1, fancy2
- 6 letters
- matter2, action2, object2, affair2, entity3, sucker2, hickey2, widget2, dingus2, doodad2, doodah
- 7 letters
- article3, concern2
- 8 letters
- business2, creature2
- 9 letters
- something2, existence3, substance2
- 10 letters
- occurrence3, hootenanny
- 11 letters
- transaction3
- 12 letters
- circumstance3
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (body2 = 2 syllables).