should
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: note: stressed form
ipa: /ʃʊd/
ipa: /ʃuːld/
ipa: /ʃəd/
ipa: /ʃʊ(l)d/
rhymes: -ʊd
Forms: form: should
form: shou'd
form: shoulde
Etymology: From Middle English scholde, from Old English sċolde, first and third person preterite form of sċulan (“should,” “have to,” “to owe”), the ancestor of English shall. By surface analysis, shall + -ed. Cognate with German sollte, Gothic 𐍃𐌺𐌿𐌻𐌳𐌰 (skulda), Swedish skulle. Related to Middle English shild and shildy.
The loss of /l/ in this word is probably due to weak stress, as in would and could (though in the latter, the /l/ was due to the analogy of the former two).
Senses: examples: text: You should never drink and drive.
text: The law is clear that you should always wear a seat belt.
text: The manual says that this switch should be in the 'off' position.
glosses: Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.
Used to issue an instruction (traditionally seen as carrying less force of authority than alternatives such as 'shall' or 'must').
examples: text: You should go and see that film. I think you'll enjoy it.
text: Should we go and see the police, do you think?
text: She should not have been so rude.
glosses: Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.
Used to give advice or opinion that an action is, or would have been, beneficial or desirable.
examples: You should see his new apartment. It's like a palace!
If you think her piano playing is bad, you should hear her sing!
glosses: Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.
With verbs such as 'see' or 'hear', usually in the second person, used to point out something remarkable in either a good or bad way.
examples: text: What do you think? What should I do?
text: Next month, Clemons will be brought before a court presided over by a "special master", who will review the case one last time. The hearing will be unprecedented in its remit, but at its core will be a simple issue: should Reggie Clemons live or die?
ref: 2012 August 21, Ed Pilkington, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:
glosses: Ought to; indicating opinion, advice, or instruction, about what is required or desirable.
In questions, asks what is correct, proper, desirable, etc.
examples: text: They should have finished by now; I'll call them to check.
text: My fruit trees should be in flower, but the cold spring has set them back.
glosses: Ought to; expressing expectation.
Indicates that something is expected to have happened or to be the case now.
examples: text: They should have it finished by Friday.
text: When you press this button, the pilot flame should ignite.
text: You should be warm enough with that coat.
text: We’re spending the winter in Ibiza. ~ That should be nice.
glosses: Ought to; expressing expectation.
Will be likely to (become or do something); indicates a degree of possibility or probability that the stated thing will happen or be true in the future.
examples: text: If I should be late, I should hope that you are prepared to go on without me.
text: Should you need extra blankets, you will find them in the closet.
text: It's his proposal that there (should) not be several dozen units.
text: I regret that it should have happened, but I was really shocked that he should say that.
text: 'One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night, / But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; / Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, / Then look for me by moonlight, / Watch for me by moonlight, / I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way.'
ref: 1906 August, Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman”, in Poems, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., published October 1906, →OCLC, part 1, stanza V, page 47:
text: It was a long weary time, for the Boy was too ill to play, and the little Rabbit found it rather dull with nothing to do all day long. But he snuggled down patiently, and looked forward to the time when the Boy should be well again, and they would go out in the garden amongst the flowers and the butterflies and play splendid games in the raspberry thicket like they used to.
ref: 1921 June, Margery Williams, “The Velveteen Rabbit: Or How Toys Become Real”, in Harper’s Bazar, volume LVI, number 6 (2504 overall), New York, N.Y.: International Magazine Company, →ISSN, →OCLC:
text: And I'd be a fool right now
If I should hurt you girl
And I'd be a fool right now
If I should leave you girl
ref: 1968 December 8, Henry Cosby, Sylvia Moy, Stevie Wonder, “I’d Be a Fool Right Now”, in For Once in My Life, performed by Stevie Wonder, Tamla Records:
text: He is noted for coming up with his 'wager', in which he argued that he was prepared to believe in God on the grounds that he had nothing to lose if he was wrong, and everything to gain should he be right.
ref: 2008, Peter Michael Higgins, Number Story: From Counting to Cryptography, page 141 (Google Books view)
synonyms: were
glosses: Used to form a variant of the present subjunctive, expressing a state or action that is hypothetical, potential, mandated, etc.
examples: text: If I had not been so tired, I should have laughed heartily.
text: "If our friends, the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman, were only with us," said the Lion, "I should be quite happy."
ref: 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:
text: "Your Silver Shoes will carry you over the desert," replied Glinda. "If you had known their power you could have gone back to your Aunt Em the very first day you came to this country." "But then I should not have had my wonderful brains!" cried the Scarecrow. "I might have passed my whole life in the farmer's cornfield."
ref: 1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, chapter 23, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill.; New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC:
text: "Good God! I don't want another accident here. I should go dotty if I had to face all that again."
ref: 1950, Norman Lindsay, Dust or Polish?, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 152:
glosses: An alternative to would with first person subjects.
Used to express a conditional outcome.
examples: text: I should imagine that they have arrived by now.
text: I should think you would apologize.
raw_tags: formal or old-fashioned
text: I should be very grateful to receive your prompt reply. (formal or old-fashioned)
raw_tags: formal or old-fashioned
text: We should very much like to meet her. (formal or old-fashioned)
text: It didn’t turn out as we intended it should.
text: I should like to dine with him. I dare say he gives famous dinners.
ref: 1817, Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey:
glosses: An alternative to would with first person subjects.
Used to impart a tentative, conjectural or polite nuance.
qualifier: formal or literary outside certain combinations such as with 'imagine' or 'think'
examples: It's disgraceful the way that they've treated you. I should write and complain.
glosses: An alternative to would with first person subjects.
Used to express what the speaker would do in another person's situation, as a means of giving a suggestion or recommendation.
Synonyms: sense: obligation
word: ought
Derived terms: as who should say
children should be seen and not heard
he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon
how should I know
I should coco
I should cocoa
might should
no one should be judge in his own case
no one should be judge in his own cause
one should never meet one's heroes
or should I say
people that live in glass houses should not throw stones
people that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
people who live in glass houses should not throw stones
people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
proverbs should be sold in pairs
proverbs should be writ in pairs
proverbs should come in pairs
proverbs should go in pairs
should-cost
should hope
should on
should see the other guy
those who live in glass houses should not throw stones
those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones
those who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those doing it
though I say it who should not
though I say it who should not say it
what should I do
you shouldn't have
you shouldn't talk
you should talk
zig when one should zag
Related terms: word: shouldst
raw_tags: of should
word: should've
english: contraction of auxiliary phrase should have
translation: contraction of auxiliary phrase should have
word: shoulda
word: one should be so lucky
word: one should live so long