Synonyms for ought
ɔtought

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:2.7 / 6 votes

1. ought

   One ought to do that which he is under moral obligation or in duty bound to do. Ought is the stronger word, holding most closely to the sense of moral obligation, or sometimes of imperative logical necessity; should may have the sense of moral obligation or may apply merely to propriety or expediency, as in the proverb, "The liar should have a good memory," i. e., he will need it. Ought is sometimes used of abstractions or inanimate things as indicating what the mind deems to be imperative or logically necessary in view of all the conditions; as, these goods ought to go into that space; these arguments ought to convince him; should in such connections would be correct, but less emphatic. Compare DUTY.

   Synonyms:
   should

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "ought":

   should, must, would

How to pronounce ought?

How to say ought in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use ought in a sentence?

1. Yang Ou:

   It's a formal exhibition. We can't use vulgarity to attract attention, we ought to offer 'positive energy' to the public.

2. Robert Jeffress:

   Methodist parishioners who believe the Bible is the word of God ought to demand that their denomination cut off any support to Duke, i think John Wesley would be turning over in his grave. This is certainly not the Methodism of John Wesley – a faith that was firmly founded on the Bible.

3. Stan McChrystal:

   If we have someone who is as selfless and as committed as James Mattis ', resigns James Mattis ' position walking away from all the responsibility James Mattis ' feels for every service member in our forces, and James Mattis ' does so in a public way like that, we ought to stop and say, okay, why did he do it ? we ought to ask what kind of commander in chief he had that James Mattis ', that the good Marine, felt James Mattis ' had to walk away.

4. Gerry Connolly:

   I agree with those who have already asserted that the Japanese government led by Mr. Abe ought to recognize in clear definitive words the injustices done in the past, but trying to pre-condition, or deny, the Prime Minister of Japan an opportunity to speak to a joint session of Congress, I don't think is the right way to achieve those ends.

5. Reinhold Niebuhr:

   I think there ought to be a club in which preachers and journalists could come together and have the sentimentalism of the one matched with the cynicism of the other. That ought to bring them pretty close to the truth.