• This

    Pronunciation

    • enPR: thÄ­s, IPA: /ðɪs/
    • Rhymes: -ɪs
    • (NZ) Homophones: thus

    Origin

    Middle English, from Old English þis (neuter demonstrative), from North Sea Germanic base *þa- (""), from Proto-Germanic *þat, from Proto-Indo-European *tód, extended form of demonstrative base *to-; + North Sea Germanic definitive suffix -s, from Proto-Indo-European *só ("this, that").

    Determiner

    1. The (thing) here used in indicating something or someone nearby.
      This classroom is where I learned to read and write.
    2. The known (thing) used in indicating something or someone just mentioned.
      They give the appearance of knowing what they're doing. It's this appearance that lets them get away with so much.
    3. The known (thing) used in indicating something or someone about to be mentioned.
      When asked what he wanted for his birthday, he gave this reply: “…”
    4. A known (thing) used in first mentioning a person or thing that the speaker does not think is known to the audience. Compare with "a certain ...".
      I met this woman the other day who's allergic to wheat. I didn't even know that was possible!
      There's just this nervous mannerism that Bob has with his hands, and it drives me crazy.
    5. (Of a unit of time) which is current.
      It snowed this week.

    Related terms

    Full definition of this

    Adverb

    this

    1. To the degree or extent indicated.I need this much water.We've already come this far, we can't turn back now.

    Pronoun

    this

    (plural - these)
    1. The thing, item, etc. being indicated.This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,—often the surfeit of our own behaviour,—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars... — Shakespeare, King Lear, Act 1. Scene 2.

    Related terms

    Noun

    this

    (plural thises)
    1. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is here; one of these.
      • 2001, James G. Lennox, Aristotle's Philosophy of Biology (page 151)Terms like 'house', 'sphere', 'animal', and 'human' do not refer to other thises distinct from these ones here — they refer to the sort of thing these ones here are.

    Interjection

    1. (Internet slang) Indicates the speaker's strong approval or agreement with the previous material.

    Synonyms

    © Wiktionary