Should Definition & Meaning

Home » How Do You Spell Should » Should Definition & Meaning

Maybe your like

  • American
  • British
  • Idioms
  • Usage
  • Commonly Confused
  • Related Words
  • Etymology
  • Examples
  • Related Words
    • Synonyms should American [shood] / ʃʊd /

    auxiliary verb

    1. must; ought (used to indicate duty, propriety, or expediency).

      You should not do that.

      All of this is irresponsible alarmism and should be dismissed as such.

    2. (used to express an expectation).

      They should arrive around dinner time.

      The paper you need should be in the drawer.

    3. (used to express a correction).

      In your first sentence, that semicolon should be a comma.

    4. (used to express a potential future event or condition).

      Were he to arrive, I should be pleased.

    5. would (used to make a statement less direct or blunt).

      I should think you would apologize.

    6. simple past tense of shall.

    noun

    1. a demand or requirement; something a person must or ought to do.

      Placing too many shoulds or unrealistic expectations on yourself can contribute to stress.

      It’s hard to find joy anymore with all these oughts and shoulds.

    should British / ʃʊd /

    verb

    1. the past tense of shall : used as an auxiliary verb to indicate that an action is considered by the speaker to be obligatory ( you should go ) or to form the subjunctive mood with I or we ( I should like to see you; if I should be late, go without me ) See also shall

    "Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 should Idioms

      More idioms and phrases containing should

      • (should) get one's head examined

    Usage

    Should has, as its most common meaning in modern English, the sense ought as in I should go to the graduation, but I don't see how I can. However, the older sense of the subjunctive of shall is often used with I or we to indicate a more polite form than would: I should like to go, but I can't. In much speech and writing, should has been replaced by would in contexts of this kind, but it remains in formal English when a conditional subjunctive is used: should he choose to remain, he would be granted asylum

    Commonly Confused

    Rules similar to those for choosing between shall and will have long been advanced for should and would, but again the rules have had little effect on usage. In most constructions, would is the auxiliary chosen regardless of the person of the subject: If our allies would support the move, we would abandon any claim to sovereignty. You would be surprised at the complexity of the directions. Because the main function of should in modern American English is to express duty, necessity, etc. ( You should get your flu shot before winter comes ), its use for other purposes, as to form a subjunctive, can produce ambiguity, at least initially: I should get my flu shot if I were you. Furthermore, should seems an affectation to many Americans when used in certain constructions quite common in British English: Had I been informed, I should (American would ) have called immediately. I should (American would ) really prefer a different arrangement. As with shall and will, most educated native speakers of American English do not follow the textbook rule in making a choice between should and would. See also shall.

    Related Words

    See must 1.

    Etymology

    Origin of should

    Middle English sholde, Old English sc(e)olde; shall

    Example Sentences

    Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

    “But our expectation is that by the end of the year things should start to look a bit better and that should help the consumer side of the economy.”

    From The Wall Street Journal

    All presents should be in boxes that are wrapped in coordinating paper and ribbon.

    From The Wall Street Journal

    The courts should have been able to stop that.

    From Slate

    "At a time when we should be connected, we find ourselves alone, down, dejected," Lindsay Foreman wrote in a poem entitled A Sad Voice From Evin Prison - A Christmas Poem.

    From BBC

    Under the deal, the Kurds' civil and military institutions should be integrated into the central government by year end.

    From Barron's

    Related Words

    • allow
    • become
    • consider
    • enjoy
    • experience
    • feel
    • know
    • leave
    • need
    • permit
    • see
    • suffer
    • undergo

    Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

    Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

    Tag » How Do You Spell Should