thing

You can use thing to refer to any object, feature, or event when you cannot, need not, or do not want to refer to it more precisely.

Thing is used in lists and descriptions to give examples or to increase the range of what you are referring to.

Thing is often used after an adjective, where it would also be possible just to use the adjective. For example, you can say it's a different thing instead of it's different.

Thing is often used instead of the pronouns 'anything' or 'everything' in order to emphasize what you are saying.

Thing is used in expressions such as such a thing or a thing like that, especially in negative statements, in order to emphasize the bad or difficult situation you are referring back to.

You can use thing to refer in a vague way to a situation, activity, or idea, especially when you want to suggest that it is not very important.

You often use thing to indicate to the person you are addressing that you are about to mention something important, or something that you particularly want them to know.

A thing is often used to refer back to something that has just been mentioned, either to emphasize it or to give more information about it.

A thing is a physical object that is considered as having no life of its own.

Thing is used to refer to something, especially a physical object, when you want to express contempt or anger towards it.

You can call a person or an animal a particular thing when you want to mention a particular quality that they have and express your feelings towards them, usually affectionate feelings.

Your things are your clothes or possessions.

Things can refer to the situation or life in general and the way it is changing or affecting you.

If you do the right thing or do the decent thing in a situation, you do something which is considered correct or socially acceptable in that situation.

If you do something first thing, you do it at the beginning of the day, before you do anything else. If you do it last thing, you do it at the end of the day, before you go to bed or go to sleep.

You say it is a good thing to do something to introduce a piece of advice or a comment on a situation or activity.

You can say that the first of two ideas, actions, or situations is one thing when you want to contrast it with a second idea, action, or situation and emphasize that the second one is much more difficult, important, or extreme.

You can say for one thing when you are explaining a statement or answering a question, to suggest that you are not giving the whole explanation or answer, and that there are other points that you could add to it.

You can use the expression 'one thing and another' to suggest that there are several reasons for something or several items on a list, but you are not going to explain or mention them all.

If you say it is just one of those things you mean that you cannot explain something because it seems to happen by chance.

If you say that someone is seeing or hearing things, you mean that they believe they are seeing or hearing something, but it is not really there.

You can say there is no such thing as something to emphasize that it does not exist or is not possible.

You say the thing is to introduce an explanation, comment, or opinion, that relates to something that has just been said. The thing is is often used to identify a problem relating to what has just been said.