rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryoughtDuty or advice
verb

ought

AWT/ɔt/

Used to express what is right or advisable.

The roommate ought to wash the dirty dishes left on the shared table.

At a messy shared kitchen table, one roommate points to the dirty dishes while another reluctantly reaches for a sponge, showing an expected duty being accepted.
Etymology
oughtOld Englishto own, possess; owe

Old English agan meant “own” or “possess” and came to mean “owe.” Its past subjunctive developed into ought, extending the idea of an obligation to repay into duty or expected action.

In context

TED speaker6:38
…you ought to reduce child mortality four percent…
Hans Rosling: The good news of the decade?
TED speaker4:44
That's something we ought to celebrate.
A conservative's plea: Let's work together | Arthur Brooks

More examples

  • We ought to leave early to avoid traffic.
  • You ought not to blame yourself for the delay.
  • The package ought to arrive by Friday.

Forms

ought

Similar words

should
Usually interchangeable, but more common and less formal.
must
Expresses a firm requirement rather than a recommendation.