bethought: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareLiterary, Archaic, Formal
Quick answer
What does “bethought” mean?
To have remembered or considered something.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To have remembered or considered something; to have brought to mind.
To have deliberated or reflected upon a matter; to have recalled or taken into account. Often carries a sense of retrospection or conscious mental effort.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; the word is equally rare and archaic in both dialects.
Connotations
In both varieties, it conveys a poetic, old-fashioned, or consciously literary tone.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in modern corpora for both BrE and AmE. Might be encountered more in historical texts or deliberate archaic stylings.
Grammar
How to Use “bethought” in a Sentence
[Subject] bethought [reflexive pronoun] of [object][Subject] bethought [that-clause][Subject] bethought [how/wh-clause]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bethought” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He suddenly bethought himself of the key he had hidden.
- She bethought her of the promise she had made years prior.
American English
- I bethought me of my grandfather's advice.
- They bethought themselves how they might escape.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in literary analysis or historical linguistics contexts.
Everyday
Not used in modern conversational English.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bethought”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bethought”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bethought”
- Using it as a present tense verb (*I bethought of you yesterday).
- Overusing it in modern writing where 'remembered' or 'realised' is appropriate.
- Confusing its reflexive pattern.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is very rare and considered archaic or literary in modern English.
The base form is the verb 'bethink', which is also archaic.
Rarely. Its most common historical pattern is with a reflexive pronoun (e.g., 'bethought himself'). Other patterns, like 'bethought that...', are less frequent.
For most learners, no. It is important to recognise it in older texts, but for active use, 'remembered', 'recalled', or 'realised' are the modern equivalents.
To have remembered or considered something.
Bethought is usually literary, archaic, formal in register.
Bethought: in British English it is pronounced /bɪˈθɔːt/, and in American English it is pronounced /bəˈθɔːt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “bethink oneself (archaic)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of BEing in the past and having THOUGHT about it: BE + THOUGHT = BETHOUGHT.
Conceptual Metaphor
THINKING IS TURNING (the mind back to something).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'bethought' correctly?