thoughtful

thoughtful

English

Etymology

From Middle English thoȝtful, thohtful, equivalent to thought +‎ -ful. Compare Dutch gedachtenvol.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈθɔːtfʊl/, /ˈθɔːtfəl/
• (General American) enPR: thôt’fəl, IPA^(key): /ˈθɔtfəl/
• (cot–caught merger) enPR: thät’fəl, IPA^(key): /ˈθɑtfəl/

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Adjective

thoughtful (comparative more thoughtful, superlative most thoughtful)

1. Demonstrating thought or careful consideration.

   Most thoughtful people eventually solve the puzzle.

   • 1859, Edward Fitzgerald, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám: The Astronomer-Poet of Persia, page 2:

     Now the New Year reviving old Desires,
     The thoughtful Soul to Solitude retires,
     Where the White Hand of Moses on the Bough
     Puts out, and Jesus from the Ground suspires.

   • 1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax:

     But Richmond, his grandfather's darling, after one thoughtful glance cast under his lashes at that uncompromising countenance appeared to lose himself in his own reflections.

   Synonyms: thoughty, carefully, detail oriented

2. Demonstrating kindness or consideration for others.

   Preparing dinner is a thoughtful gesture for a new mother.

   Synonyms: thoughty, considerate, attentive, caring

Antonyms

• thoughtless

Derived terms

• thoughtfully
• thoughtfulness

Translations

demonstrating thought or careful consideration

Arabic: عَمِيق اَلتَّفْكِير‎ (ʿamīq at-tafkīr) Bulgarian: замислен (bg) (zamislen) Catalan: pensarós Chinese: Mandarin: 周到 (zh) (zhōudào) Dutch: voorkomend (nl) Esperanto: pripensema Finnish: ajatteleva (fi), ajattelukykyinen; harkittu (fi) French: réfléchi (fr) German: nachdenklich (de), bedächtig (de) Greek: Ancient: σκεπτικός (skeptikós) Irish: cásmhar, cuimhneach Italian: pensieroso (it), pensoso (it), meditabondo (it), cogitabondo (it) Latin: memor, cōgitābundus Maori: whaiwhakaaro Middle English: sad Polish: rozważny (pl) Portuguese: bem pensado, meticuloso (pt) Romanian: cugetat Russian: вду́мчивый (ru) (vdúmčivyj) Scottish Gaelic: cùramach Slovak: vnímavý (sk), pozorný m Spanish: detallista (es), minucioso (es), meticuloso (es) Swedish: eftertänksam (sv) Turkish: dalgın (tr), düşünceli (tr)

demonstrating kindness or consideration

Azerbaijani: qayğıkeş Bulgarian: внимателен (bg) (vnimatelen) Catalan: atent (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 体贴 (zh) (tǐtiē) Dutch: voorkomend (nl) Finnish: ajattelevainen, huomaavainen (fi) French: attentionné (fr) German: aufmerksam (de) Irish: cásmhar Italian: premuroso (it) Maori: ngākau mahara Old English: besċēawod Polish: troskliwy (pl) Portuguese: atencioso (pt) Romanian: grijuliu (ro) Russian: забо́тливый (ru) (zabótlivyj), чу́ткий (ru) (čútkij), внима́тельный (ru) (vnimátelʹnyj) (к други́м) Scottish Gaelic: cùramach Slovak: pozorný (voči druhým) m Spanish: detallista (es), cortés (es), atento (es) Swedish: omtänksam (sv) Turkish: düşünceli (tr), ince (tr), nazik (tr), anlayışlı (tr)