The Meaning of Though: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of though? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word though, including its definition, etymology and word origin, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word though mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary, and the American Heritage Unabridged  Dictionary of the English Language, the word though is an adverb and conjunction that means however or in spite of. This is often used in the middle of a sentence after the main clause as a form of traditional objection to the former clause. This is used differently in different dialects, and might be preceded by an ellipses or a comma. The pronunciation of though is ðəʊ.

Many different languages around the world contain words that mean though. You may notice that many of these translations from Word Sense look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words in different languages have the same root or language of origin. How many of these translations of though do you know?

  •  Scottish Gaelic: ge-tà‎
  •  Ukrainian: тим не менш‎ (tym ne mensh)
  •  Finnish: kuitenkin‎
  •  Georgian: მაინც‎
  •  Spanish: no obstante‎
  •  Swahili: ijapokuwa‎, hata hivyo‎
  •  Polish: jednak‎
  •  Interlingua: benque‎, malgrado‎, non obstante‎
  •  Scots: tho‎
  •  Luo: kata kamano‎
  •  Greek: εν τούτοις‎, παρά ταύτα‎, ωστόσο‎
  •  Japanese: にもかかわらず‎ (nimokakawarazu), それでも‎ (soredemo)
  •  German: trotzdem‎, doch‎, allerdings‎
  •  Italian: comunque‎, nonostante‎, in ogni caso‎, ad ogni modo‎
  •  Indonesian: bagaimanapun juga‎
  •  Danish: dog‎
  •  Portuguese: no entanto, não obstante‎, contudo‎
  •  Norwegian: dog‎
  •  Walloon: portant‎
  •  Navajo: ndi‎
  •  French: néanmoins‎, cependant‎
  •  Occitan: pasmens‎, ni per tot‎, ça que la‎, pr’aquò‎, pr’aquò‎
  •  Russian: те́м не ме́нее‎, одна́ко‎, всё-таки‎
  •  Volapük: do
  •  Kurdish: dîsa jî‎, her wiha‎
  •  Zazaki: bo zi‎
  •  Swedish: dock‎
  •  Persian: گرچه‎ (garče)
  •  Dutch: echter‎
  •  Malay: walau bagaimana‎
  •  Czech: nicméně‎

What is the origin of the word though?

According to Etymonline, the word though has been used since c13 Middle English thoh/thagh/thauh, from the Old English þeah and Old English thēah/ Old English theah. This comes from the Old Norse þo meaning “though,” from Proto-Germanic thauk. This word has cognates in the Scots thoch (“though”), Saterland Frisian dach‎ (“though”), Old Norse thō, Old Saxon, Old High German thōh, Gothic þauh, Old Frisian thāch, West Frisian dôch‎, dochs (“though”), Old Frisian thach, Middle Dutch and Dutch doch‎ (“though”), Old High German doh, German doch‎ (“though”), Swedish dock‎ (“however, still”), and Icelandic þó‎ (“though”).

What are synonyms and antonyms of though?

There are a number of different words that a person can choose to use in place of the word though. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that have the same meaning or definition as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to easily expand your English language vocabulary and help you avoid repeating yourself when writing or speaking. The below list of synonyms for the word though is provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  at any rate
  •  in spite of everything
  •  even so
  •  still and all
  •  despite
  •  howbeit
  •  whereas
  •  having said that
  •  although
  •  if
  •  be that as it may
  •  as
  •  even
  •  notwithstanding
  •  in any event
  •  but
  •  moreover
  •  despite everything
  •  on the other hand
  •  not but
  •  regardless
  •  in spite of
  •  nevertheless
  •  yet
  •  anyway
  •  notwithstanding the fact that
  •  when
  •  much as
  •  after all
  •  whilst
  •  even if
  •  none the less
  •  in spite of the fact that
  •  however
  •  at all events
  •  still
  •  anyhow
  •  despite the fact that
  •  while
  •  in spite of that
  •  even though
  •  nonetheless
  •  at the same time
  •  notwithstanding that
  •  despite that
  •  just the same
  •  all the same
  •  for all that
  •  albeit
  •  this being said

There are also many different words that mean the opposite of though. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another great way to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms is also provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  thusly
  •  subsequently
  •  because of this
  •  that being so
  •  ergo
  •  as consequence
  •  in so doing
  •  in consequence
  •  due to the fact
  •  that is why
  •  thereby
  •  then
  •  in that event
  •  as you can see
  •  by doing so
  •  that being the case
  •  which is why
  •  because of that
  •  as a result
  •  consequently
  •  on that account
  •  as such
  •  doing so
  •  in that case
  •  on the grounds of this
  •  accordingly
  •  so
  •  thence
  •  and so
  •  therefore
  •  thereupon
  •  for this reason
  •  hence
  •  for these reasons
  •  henceforth
  •  due to this
  •  henceforward
  •  therefrom
  •  thus
  •  whence
  •  wherefore
  •  in doing so
  •  as a consequence
  •  this is why
  •  by doing this
  •  for that reason
  •  on this account
  •  from there
  •  on account of this
  •  that end

How can the word though be used in a sentence?

The word though can be used in many different sentences in the English language. Using words in a sentence is a great way to memorize their definition. You can also try making flashcards or quizzes for yourself to see how good your vocabulary is. Try using this word of the day in a sentence today. Below are a couple of different examples of though to get you started. 

Though it would answer her own question with the best answers, she could not hack into the device to go through the cookies due to the invasion of privacy. In accordance with her online community from Stack Overflow Q&A communities, Google, and her own morals, she needed to respect it. 

Though the city’s bars have a warmth to them on the small island of Malta, the food on the business trip was provided by the company on a daily basis. The company’s food was a bore and garnered animosity and a gathering gloom from the conference-goers. 

Though the crowd was heckling the police officer so much his cheeks turned red, he remained calm. He did not need to see a man die tonight. 

Overall, the word though means however or in spite of. This is considered a conjunction or adverb.

Sources:

  1. though | Origin and meaning of though | Online Etymology Dictionary
  2. though: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense  
  3. Though synonyms – 348 Words and Phrases for Though | Power Thesaurus 
  4. Though antonyms – 603 Opposites of Though | Power Thesaurus