English
mind
Etymology

From Middle English minde, münde, ȝemünde, from Old English mynd, ġemynd, from Proto-West Germanic *mundi, *gamundi, from Proto-Germanic *mundiz, *gamundiz ("memory, remembrance"), from Proto-Indo-European *méntis (compare also mantis, via Greek), from the root *men- ("to think").

Pronunciation Noun

mind

  1. The capability for rational thought.
    Despite advancing age, his mind was still as sharp as ever.
    • 1576, George Whetstone, “The Ortchard of Repentance: […]”, in The Rocke of Regard, […], London: […] [H. Middleton] for Robert Waley, →OCLC ↗; republished in J[ohn] P[ayne] Collier, editor, The Rocke of Regard, […] (Illustrations of Early English Poetry; vol. 2, no. 2), London: Privately printed, [1867?], →OCLC ↗, page 291 ↗:
      And ſure, although it was invented to eaſe his mynde of griefe, there be a number of caveats therein to forewarne other young gentlemen to foreſtand with good government their folowing yl fortunes; […]
    • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      “ […] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
  2. The ability to be aware of things.
    There was no doubt in his mind that they would win.
  3. The ability to remember things.
    My mind just went blank.
  4. The ability to focus the thoughts.
    I can’t keep my mind on what I’m doing.
  5. Somebody that embodies certain mental qualities.
    He was one of history’s greatest minds.
    • 1956, Allen Ginsberg, “Howl”, in Howl and Other Poems (Pocket Poets Series), City Lights Books, →OCLC ↗, page 9 ↗:
      I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, […]
  6. Judgment, opinion, or view.
    He changed his mind after hearing the speech.
  7. Desire, inclination, or intention.
    She had a mind to go to Paris.
    I have half a mind to do it myself.
    I am of a mind to listen.
    • c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC ↗, page 64, lines 94–99:
      I fortuned to come in,
      Thys rebell to behold,
      Whereof I hym controld;
      But he sayde that he wolde
      Agaynst my mynde and wyll
      In my church hawke styll.
  8. A healthy mental state.
    I, __ being of sound mind and body, do hereby […]
    You are losing your mind.
  9. (philosophy) The non-material substance or set of processes in which consciousness, perception, affectivity, judgement, thinking, and will are based.
    The nature of the mind is a major topic in philosophy.
    • 1883, Howard Pyle, chapter V, in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood […], New York, N.Y.: […] Charles Scribner's Sons […], →OCLC ↗:
      Thus they dwelled for nearly a year, and in that time Robin Hood often turned over in his mind many means of making an even score with the Sheriff.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC ↗:
      […] St. Bede's at this period of its history was perhaps the poorest and most miserable parish in the East End of London. Close-packed, crushed by the buttressed height of the railway viaduct, rendered airless by huge walls of factories, it at once banished lively interest from a stranger's mind and left only a dull oppression of the spirit.
  10. Continual prayer on a dead person's behalf for a period after their death.
    a month's [or monthly] mind; a year's mind
  11. (uncountable) Attention, consideration or thought.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

mind (minds, present participle minding; simple past and past participle minded)

  1. To bring or recall to mind; to remember; bear or keep in mind.
    • 1878, Robert Browning, La Saisiaz, line 70:
      Mind to-morrow's early meeting!
  2. (now, regional) To remember. [from 14th c.]
    • 1896, A. E. Housman, A Shropshire Lad, XXXVII, lines 25-26:
      The land where I shall mind you not / Is the land where all's forgot.
  3. (obsolete or dialectal) To remind; put one's mind on.
    • 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene iii]:
      Farewell, kind lord; fight valiantly to-day: / And yet I do thee wrong to mind thee of it, / For thou art framed of the firm truth of valour.
    • c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:
      Let me be punished, that have minded you Of what you should forget.
    • 1684-1690, Thomas Burnet, The Sacred Theory of the Earth
      I desire to mind those persons of what Saint Austin hath said.
    • 1692, Roger L'Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC ↗:
      This minds me of a cobbling colonel of famous memory.
    • 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC ↗:
      He minded them of the mutability of all earthly things.
  4. To turn one's mind to; to observe; to notice.
    • 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene ii]:
      Here comes a spirit of his, and to torment me / For bringing wood in slowly. I'll fall flat; / Perchance he will not mind me.
  5. To regard with attention; to treat as of consequence.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Romans 12:16 ↗:
      Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
    • 1907 E.M. Forster, The Longest Journey, Part I, V [Uniform ed., p. 63]:
      It's the worst thing that can ever happen to you in all your life, and you've got to mind it—you've got to mind it. They'll come saying, 'Bear up—trust to time.' No, no; they're wrong. Mind it.
  6. (chiefly, in the imperative) To pay attention or heed to so as to obey; hence to obey; to make sure, to take care (that). [from 17th c.]
    Mind you don't knock that glass over.
  7. (now, rare except in phrases) To pay attention to, in the sense of occupying one's mind with, to heed. [from 15th c.]
    You should mind your own business.
    • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene i]:
      My lord, you nod: you do not mind the play.
    • 1712, Joseph Addison, Spectator, No. 383 (May 20, 1710:
      Upon my coming down, I found all the Children of the Family got about my old Friend, and my Landlady herself, who is a notable prating Gossip, engaged in a Conference with him; being mightily pleased with his stroaking her little Boy upon the Head, and bidding him be a good Child and mind his Book.
    • 2000, George R.R. Martin, A Storm of Swords, Bantam, published 2011, page 84:
      Should you ever have a son, Sansa, beat him frequently so he learns to mind you.
  8. To look after, to take care of, especially for a short period of time. [from 17th c.]
    Would you mind my bag for me?
  9. To be careful about. [from 18th c.]
  10. (now, obsolete, except in, dialect) To purpose, intend, plan.
    • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene i]:
      I mind to tell him plainly what I think.
    • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC ↗:
      […] and if ever I refused to do his bidding or loitered or took my leisure he beat me with his feet more grievously than if I had been beaten with whips. He ceased not to signal with his hand wherever he was minded to go; so I carried him about the island, like a captive slave, and he bepissed and conskited my shoulders and back, dismounting not night nor day; and whenas he wished to sleep he wound his legs about his neck and leaned back and slept awhile, then arose and beat me; whereupon I sprang up in haste, unable to gainsay him because of the pain he inflicted on me.
  11. (UK, Ireland) Take note; used to point out an exception or caveat.
    I'm not very healthy. I do eat fruit sometimes, mind.
  12. (originally and chiefly in negative or interrogative constructions) To dislike, to object to; to be bothered by. [from 16th c.]
    I wouldn't mind an ice cream right now.
    Do you mind if I smoke?
Conjugation
Conjugation of mind

infinitive (to) mind
present tense past tense
1st-person singular mind minded
2nd-person singular

 mind, mindest†

 minded, mindedst†
3rd-person singular

 minds, mindeth†

 minded
plural

 mind

subjunctive

 mind

minded
imperative

 mind

—
participles

 minding

 minded

†Archaic or obsolete.

Synonyms Translations Translations Translations

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