- [countable, uncountable] the part of a person that makes them able to be aware of things, to think and to feel
- the conscious/subconscious mind
- There were all kinds of thoughts running through my mind.
- There was no doubt in his mind that he'd get the job.
- ‘Drugs’ are associated in most people's minds with drug abuse.
- She was in a disturbed state of mind.
- I could not have complete peace of mind before they returned.
- The campaign to win the hearts and minds of the public continues.
- I felt refreshed in mind and body.
Extra Examples- Exhaustion clouded her mind.
- It is a mecca for those seeking sustenance for the mind, body and spirit.
- He had closed his mind to anything new.
- Her mind was still reeling from the shock.
- His comments did nothing to ease my mind.
- I couldn't get my mind around the concept.
- I need a clear mind if I want to continue with my work.
- You've been in my mind a lot lately.
- It was something she had never imagined, not even in the deepest recesses of her mind.
- Kate desperately searched her mind for some excuse.
- Our subconscious mind tries to protect us.
- Serious doubts began to flood my mind.
- She was poisoning his mind and turning him against his family.
- There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was guilty.
- Try meditating to clear your mind of negative thoughts.
- the complex nature of the human mind
- When you go to sleep it is only the conscious mind that shuts down.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- human
- conscious
- subconscious
- …
- come into
- come to
- cross
- …
- work
- drift
- stray
- …
- in your mind
- in mind
- on your mind
- …
- at the back of your mind
- in the back of your mind
- at the forefront of your mind
- …
- [countable] your ability to think and reason; your intelligence; the particular way that somebody thinks synonym intellect
- to have a brilliant/good/keen mind
- a creative/evil/suspicious mind
- She had a lively and enquiring mind.
- His mind is as sharp as ever.
- I've no idea how her mind works!
- He had the body of a man and the mind of a child.
- Their evidence might give us some insights into the criminal mind.
Extra Examples- She has a brilliant mind.
- to rouse the public mind to a sense of the dangers
- In dreams we explore the hidden depths of the human mind.
- I wish I had that type of creative mind.
- He had probably the finest mind of the whole group.
- Did you know you have a nasty suspicious mind?
- He wanted us to focus our minds on unsolved problems.
- impressionable young minds that are easily influenced
- She was the only person who understood his mind.
- You have to train your mind to think positively.
- There 's no question in my mind that Kelly's pictures are better than Astaire's.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- human
- conscious
- subconscious
- …
- come into
- come to
- cross
- …
- work
- drift
- stray
- …
- in your mind
- in mind
- on your mind
- …
- at the back of your mind
- in the back of your mind
- at the forefront of your mind
- …
- [countable] a person who is very intelligent synonym brain
- She was one of the greatest minds of her generation.
- a problem that has defeated the world's finest minds
- Larry is one of the best trained minds in the industry.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- human
- conscious
- subconscious
- …
- come into
- come to
- cross
- …
- work
- drift
- stray
- …
- in your mind
- in mind
- on your mind
- …
- at the back of your mind
- in the back of your mind
- at the forefront of your mind
- …
- [countable] your thoughts, interest, etc.
- Keep your mind on your work!
- Your mind’s not on the job.
- Her mind was completely occupied by the previous day's events.
- The lecture dragged on and my mind wandered.
- He gave his mind to the arrangements for the next day.
- As for avoiding you, nothing could be further from my mind (= I was not thinking of it at all).
Extra Examples- My mind turned to more practical matters.
- There's no stopping Elizabeth once she has her mind set on something.
- Just free your mind and write whatever comes.
- Her mind began to wander.
- He occupied his mind by playing cards against himself.
- His mind raced, trying to think of a way out of the situation.
- Their own problems of course remained uppermost in their minds.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- human
- conscious
- subconscious
- …
- come into
- come to
- cross
- …
- work
- drift
- stray
- …
- in your mind
- in mind
- on your mind
- …
- at the back of your mind
- in the back of your mind
- at the forefront of your mind
- …
- [countable, usually singular] your ability to remember things
- When I saw the exam questions my mind just went blank (= I couldn't remember anything).
- Sorry—your name has gone right out of my mind.
- terrible images that will be imprinted on our minds forever
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- human
- conscious
- subconscious
- …
- come into
- come to
- cross
- …
- work
- drift
- stray
- …
- in your mind
- in mind
- on your mind
- …
- at the back of your mind
- in the back of your mind
- at the forefront of your mind
- …
ability to think
intelligent person
thoughts
memory
Word OriginOld English gemynd ‘memory, thought’, of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘revolve in the mind, think’, shared by Sanskrit manas and Latin mens ‘mind’.
Idioms
See mind in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee mind in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishat/in the back of your mind
- if a thought, etc. is at the back of your mind, you are aware of it but it is not what you are mainly thinking about
- At the back of my mind was a small, warning voice, telling me it was wrong.
- The problem was always at the back of my mind.
be all in somebody’s/the mind
- to be something that only exists in somebody’s imagination
- These problems are all in your mind, you know.
bear/keep somebody/something in mind | bear/keep in mind that…
- to remember somebody/something; to remember or consider that…
- You don't have to do anything about it now… just bear it in mind.
Extra Examples- Here are some important points to keep in mind…
- I'll keep what you say in mind.
- Try to keep safety in the forefront of your mind at all times.
be bored, frightened, pissed, stoned, etc. out of your mind
- (informal) to be extremely bored, etc.
be etched on your heart/memory/mind
- if something is etched on your heart, memory, etc. you remember it because it has made a strong impression on you
be etched on your mind/heart/memory
- if something is etched on your mind, heart, etc. you remember it because it has made a strong impression on you
be in two minds about something/about doing something (British English)
(North American English be of two minds about something/about doing something)
- to be unable to decide what you think about somebody/something, or whether to do something or not
- I was in two minds about the book (= I didn't know if I liked it or not).
- She's in two minds about accepting his invitation.
bend your mind to something
- (formal) to think very hard about one particular thing
- She bent her mind to the problem of escape.
bend your mind/efforts to something
- (formal) to think very hard about or put a lot of effort into one particular thing
- She bent her mind to the problem of escape.
be of one/the same mind (about somebody/something)
- to have the same opinion about somebody/somethingTopics Opinion and argumentc2
be/go out of your mind
- to be unable to think or behave in a reasonable way, especially because of extreme shock or worry
- (informal) You're lending them money? You must be out of your tiny mind!
be out of your mind with worry, etc.
- to be extremely worried, etc.
blow your mind
- (informal) to produce a very strong feeling of pleasure or shock
- Wait till you hear this. It'll blow your mind.
- a collection of photographs that will blow your mind
something boggles the mind
(also the mind boggles)
- (informal) if something boggles the mind or the mind boggles at it, it is so unusual that people find it hard to imagine or accept
- The vastness of space really boggles the mind.
- ‘He says he's married to his cats!’ ‘The mind boggles!’
bring/call somebody/something to mind (formal)
cast your mind back (to something)
- to make yourself think about something that happened in the past
- I want you to cast your minds back to the first time you met.
change your/somebody’s mind
- to change a decision or an opinion
- Nothing will make me change my mind.
- What made you change your mind?
a change of mind
- an act of changing what you think about a situation, etc.
close your mind to something
- to refuse to think about something as a possibility
come/spring to mind
- if something comes/springs to mind, you suddenly remember or think of it
- When discussing influential modern artists, three names immediately come to mind.
- I'm sure someone can help you, but no one immediately springs to mind.
cross your mind
- (of thoughts, etc.) to come into your mind synonym occur to somebody
- It never crossed my mind that she might lose (= I was sure that she would win).
- The thought never crossed my mind!
give somebody a piece of your mind
- (informal) to tell somebody that you think their behaviour is bad or are angry with them
great minds think alike
- (informal, humorous) used to say that you and another person must both be very clever because you have had the same idea or agree about somethingTopics Opinion and argumentc2
have a good mind to do something | have half a mind to do something
- used to say that you think you will do something, although you are not sure
- I've half a mind to come with you tomorrow.
- used to say that you think that what somebody has done is bad and should do something about it, although you probably will not
- I've a good mind to write and tell your parents about it.
have somebody/something in mind (for something)
- to be thinking of somebody/something, especially for a particular job, etc.
- Do you have anyone in mind for this job?
- Watching TV all evening wasn't exactly what I had in mind!
- What kind of party do you have in mind?
have it in mind to do something
- (formal) to intend to do something
- For a long time he had it in mind to write a novel about his experiences.
have a memory/mind like a sieve
- (informal) to have a very bad memory; to forget things easily
have a mind of your own
- to have your own opinion and make your own decisions without being influenced by other people
- She has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to say what she thinks.
- (humorous) My computer seems to have a mind of its own!
have/keep an open mind (about/on something)
- to be willing to listen to or accept new ideas or suggestions
- Try to keep an open mind until you've heard all the facts.
(not) in your right mind
- (not) thinking clearly; (not) able to make sensible decisions
- Who in their right mind would spend $50 000 on a pair of shoes?
know your own mind
- to have very clear and definite ideas about what you want to do
lose your mind
- to become mentally ill
- He feared he was losing his mind.
make up your mind | make your mind up
- to decide something
- They're both beautiful—I can't make up my mind.
- Have you made up your minds where to go for your honeymoon?
- You'll never persuade him to stay—his mind's made up (= he has definitely decided to go).
- Come on—it's make your mind up time!
a meeting of minds
- a close understanding between people with similar ideas, especially when they meet to do something or meet for the first time
- a meeting of minds between the two artists
mind over matter
- the use of the power of your mind to deal with physical problems
- He said that keeping running in spite of the pain was just a question of mind over matter.
your mind’s eye
- your imagination
- He pictured the scene in his mind's eye.
not pay somebody/something any mind
- (North American English) to give no attention to somebody/something
- People call him names sometimes, but he doesn't pay them any mind.
of unsound mind
- (law) not responsible for your actions because of a mental illness
on your mind
- if somebody/something is on your mind, you are thinking and worrying about them/it a lot
- You've been on my mind all day.
- Don't bother your father tonight—he's got a lot on his mind.
Extra Examples- a subject which was on the nation's collective mind
- I have a lot on my mind at the moment.
open your/somebody’s mind to something
- to become or make somebody aware of new ideas or experiences
- He’s eager to open the minds of his audience to different kinds of music.
out of sight, out of mind
- (saying) used to say somebody will quickly be forgotten when they are no longer with you
prey on somebody’s mind
- (of a thought, problem, etc.) to make somebody think and worry about it all the time
- The thought that he could have helped more preyed on his mind.
- It's been preying on my mind ever since it happened.
push something to the back of your mind
- to try to forget about something unpleasant
- I tried to push the thought to the back of my mind.
put somebody in mind of somebody/something
- (old-fashioned) to make somebody think of somebody/something; to remind somebody of somebody/something
put/set somebody’s mind at ease/rest
- to do or say something to make somebody stop worrying about something synonym reassure
put/set/turn your mind to something | set your mind on something
- to decide you want to achieve something and give this all your attention
- She could have been a brilliant pianist if she'd put her mind to it.
- You can do whatever you set your mind to.
put/get something out of your mind
- to stop thinking about somebody/something; to deliberately forget somebody/something
- I just can't get her out of my mind.
slip your mind
- if something slips your mind, you forget it or forget to do it
- I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. It completely slipped my mind.
speak your mind
- to say exactly what you think, in a very direct way
- She’s never hesitated about speaking her mind.
- Everyone should have the right to speak their mind.
stick in your head/mind
- (of a memory, an image, etc.) to be remembered for a long time
- One of his paintings in particular sticks in my mind.
take your mind off something
- to make you forget about something unpleasant for a short time synonym distract
- Painting helped take her mind off her troubles.
to my mind
- in my opinion
- It was a ridiculous thing to do, to my mind.
a turn of mind
- a particular way of thinking about things
Check pronunciation:
mind