Thinking Idioms

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chew over

Meaning: To think something through carefully and patiently instead of rushing into an answer.

Example: She poured another cup of tea and began to chew over the job offer, turning each detail slowly in her mind. Read more ➺


brood over

Meaning: To sit and worry about something (a mistake, a problem, or something that went wrong) for a long time, turning it over and over in your mind, usually feeling low or upset while you do it.

Example: After the argument with her sister, Maya sat alone in her room and quietly began to brood over every harsh word that had been said. Read more ➺


brain stew

Meaning: A state of mental overload or confusion caused by too many thoughts.

Example: After juggling multiple deadlines all day, her brain stew left her unable to concentrate on even simple tasks. Read more ➺


it’s not that deep

Meaning: It is not very serious or important.

Example: When Jake forgot to like her post, she got upset, but he keeps saying it's not that deep because it's just social media. Read more ➺


school of thought

Meaning: A particular way of thinking that a group of people share about a subject or issue.

Example: Many economists belong to one school of thought that supports free-market policies. Read more ➺


chew the cud

Meaning: To contemplate deeply: Reflect or think deeply about something, often in a calm or repetitive manner, much like a cow ruminates its food.

Example: Sarah sat by the window to chew the cud about her career choices. Read more ➺


sharp as a tack

Meaning: extremely intelligent or perceptive; mentally acute.

Example: Even at 80 years old, Grandma is as sharp as a tack and still solves crossword puzzles in minutes. Read more ➺


gray matter

Meaning: An informal phrase used to describe a person's intelligence or ability to think and reason.

Example: It doesn't take a lot of gray matter to solve this simple puzzle. Read more ➺


food for thought

Meaning: an idea or subject to think about.

Example: The manager's meeting today has given me a lot of food for thought about whether I want to continue working for this company. Read more ➺


mull over

Meaning: To think about something carefully and slowly before making a decision.

Example: She decided to mull over the job offer before accepting it. Read more ➺


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