# occur to

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/occur-to
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

When a thought or idea suddenly comes into your mind. You use this when you realize something you had not thought about before.

For teachers: To come into the mind of a person; to be realized or suggested. The verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'to' to introduce the person experiencing the thought.

## Examples

- It did not occur to me to check the weather forecast.
- While she was walking to the station, it suddenly occurred to her that she had left the oven on.
- It never occurred to the board of directors that their primary competitor would launch such a disruptive product so late in the fiscal year.

## Pitfalls

- Not "It occurred me that I was late." but "It occurred to me that I was late." — The preposition 'to' must always be used before the person who has the thought.

## Usage notes

- This phrase is almost always used with 'it' as the subject followed by a 'that' clause or an infinitive.
- Teaching tip: Contrast with 'think of' or 'realize'; 'occur to' suggests the idea arrives spontaneously rather than through active effort.

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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.