# what was someone thinking

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/what-was-someone-thinking
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Used to express disappointment about someone's uncharacteristic or abnormal past actions.

## Examples

- What was he thinking when he bought that ugly car?
- When I saw the terrible mess they made of the kitchen, I really wondered what they were thinking.
- Looking back at the disastrous investment that cost them their savings, the partners often asked themselves what they were thinking at the time.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.