Idiom
collect one's thoughts
Meaning
To become mentally composed, especially after being distressed, surprised, or disoriented; to become calm or organized in one's emotional state or thinking, as in preparation for a conversation, speech, decision, etc.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“I need a moment to collect my thoughts before I answer.”
“After the unexpected news, she sat quietly for a few minutes to collect her thoughts before calling her family.”
“The professor paused mid-lecture to collect his thoughts, ensuring he could explain the complex theory clearly to his students.”
Examples
simple
“I need a moment to collect my thoughts before I answer.”
contextual
“After the unexpected news, she sat quietly for a few minutes to collect her thoughts before calling her family.”
complex
“The professor paused mid-lecture to collect his thoughts, ensuring he could explain the complex theory clearly to his students.”
Key words
Related idioms
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