# thinker

/ˈθɪŋkɝ/ (US) · /θˈɪŋkɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/thinker
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. an intellectual person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who thinks deeply about important subjects like philosophy, politics, or science.

For teachers: an individual characterised by serious intellectual activity, such as a philosopher, theologian, or academic theorist.

- She was known as a great thinker who changed how people viewed the world.
- The university hosted a symposium for leading thinkers to discuss the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in modern society.

### 2. someone who contemplates

noun · CEFR B2

someone who spends a lot of time considering their own thoughts or ideas.

For teachers: one who engages in the act of contemplation, meditation, or reflection.

- He was a quiet thinker who preferred to listen before speaking his mind.
- Even as a child, he was a deep thinker, often found staring out the window lost in his own imagination.

### 3. the brain

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a casual way to talk about your brain or your mind.

For teachers: the brain or the seat of intellect. Used as a colloquial substitute for the physical or functional mind.

- Use your thinker and see if you can solve this puzzle.
- After a long day of complex calculations, he felt like his thinker was completely fried.

### 4. a difficult problem

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a question or problem that is very hard to answer and requires a lot of thought.

For teachers: a difficult question, puzzle, or conundrum that necessitates significant cognitive effort to resolve.

- That last question on the math test was a real thinker.
- The riddle the old man posed was a real thinker, keeping the group occupied for the entire journey.

## Examples

- He is a deep thinker who loves philosophy.
- The university invited a famous political thinker to give a lecture on modern democracy.
- While some critics dismissed the author as a mere storyteller, others recognized her as a profound thinker whose novels explored the very nature of human consciousness.

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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.