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

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How to use ought in a sentence?

1. Paul Ryan:

   You would think we ought to be focusing on Hillary Clinton, on all of her deficiencies. She is such a weak candidate that one would think we'd be on offense against Hillary Clinton, and it is distressing that that's not what we're talking about these days.

2. Ben Carson:

   The general principle that I've been talking about is that if we don't fight them and eradicate them where they are, we will end up with situations like we have in Paris, we will end up with situations similar to that, or even worse, here in the United States, and I think we ought to take this as a warning that we need to really go in there with very serious intent -- not to contain them -- but to take (ISIS) out completely.

3. Tim Kaine:

   If we're going to ask people to risk their lives, then Congress ought to do our job and put our thumb print on this mission and say, it is in the national interest.

4. Friedrich Nietzsche:

   How people keep correcting us when we are young! There is always some bad habit or other they tell us we ought to get over. Yet most bad habits are tools to help us through life.

5. Lord Macaulay:

   Many politicians lay it down as a self-evident proposition, that no people ought to be free till they are fit to use their freedom. The maxim is worthy of the fool in the old story, who resolved not to go into the water till he had learned to swim.