ought to (B1)
modal verb
Pronunciation: /ɔːt tuː/
Definition
Used to express a moral obligation or what is considered the right thing to do.
Examples
You ought to study harder if you want to pass the exam.
We ought to help those in need.
He ought to have known better than to lie.
How to Use ought to
- ought not to (prepositional phrase)
- Expresses that something is not advisable or morally wrong. — "You ought not to speak to your mother like that."
- ought to have (collocation)
- Used to talk about past actions that were advisable but did not happen. — "He ought to have finished the report by now."
Synonyms of ought to
Words with a similar meaning to ought to:
Antonyms of ought to
Words with the opposite meaning to ought to:
Browse the full Anaversity dictionary