Word
thousand
Phoneticsthou·sand, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈθaʊzən/
UK/θˈaʊzənd/
Definition
n. the number 1,000. You use it to talk about a large group of people or things.
n. the cardinal number equal to ten times one hundred. Often used figuratively to indicate a large but unspecified quantity.
Examples
“There are one thousand meters in a kilometer.”
“The stadium was packed with over ten thousand fans cheering for the home team.”
“The ancient ruins have stood for several thousand years, surviving countless wars and natural disasters while remaining largely intact for modern archaeologists to study.”
Examples
simple
“There are one thousand meters in a kilometer.”
contextual
“The stadium was packed with over ten thousand fans cheering for the home team.”
complex
“The ancient ruins have stood for several thousand years, surviving countless wars and natural disasters while remaining largely intact for modern archaeologists to study.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “thousand” in context.
Usage
When used as a specific number with another digit, it remains singular ('two thousand'); it becomes plural ('thousands') when used to describe an indefinite large amount.
Pitfall
five thousands people
five thousand people
When preceded by a specific number, 'thousand' does not take a plural 's'.
Etymology
From Middle English thousend, thusand, from Old English þūsend (“thousand”), from Proto-West Germanic þūsundi, from Proto-Germanic þūsundī (“thousand”), (compare Scots thousand (“thousand”), Saterland Frisian duusend (“thousand”), West Frisian tûzen (“thousand”), Dutch duizend (“thousand”), German tausend (“thousand”), Danish tusind (“thousand”), Swedish tusen (“thousand”), Norwegian tusen (“thousand”), Icelandic þúsund (“thousand”), Faroese túsund (“thousand”)), from Proto-Indo-European tuHsont-, tuHsenti- (compare Lithuanian tūkstantis (“thousand”), Polish tysiąc, Russian ты́сяча (týsjača), Finnish tuhat, Estonian tuhat).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/thousand