thousand

thousand — number

1. the exact integer written as one followed by three zeros, used when stating a pr

1.numberA2
Definition

the exact integer written as one followed by three zeros, used when stating a precise quantity

Example

Christopher and Yael's wedding venue seated one thousand guests under a large white tent.

one thousand + countable noun (guests)

Lara saved one thousand dollars from her summer job at the bakery to buy a second-hand car.

Common collocations
  • one thousand people
  • one thousand dollars
  • one thousand years
  • over one thousand
Synonyms
  • one thousand

    the full written-out form of 1,000; identical in meaning but more formal

Grammar Patterns

[number] + thousand + [countable noun]

Usage Note

Unlike most nouns, 'thousand' stays singular when a specific number comes before it: 'two thousand', 'five thousand', 'ten thousand'. The plural 'thousands' is only used for vague or approximate quantities.

Common Mistakes

The company hired two thousands workers last year.
The company hired two thousand workers last year.
When 'thousand' follows a specific number, it never takes -s.

2. an extremely large amount used as an exaggeration, without meaning precisely one

2.numberB1
Definition

an extremely large amount used as an exaggeration, without meaning precisely one thousand

Example

Sari had a thousand things to pack before leaving for her study programme in Japan.

hyperbolic 'a thousand' with plural countable noun

The grandmother told the child a thousand stories about life in the old village.

Common collocations
  • a thousand times
  • a thousand reasons
  • a thousand questions
Synonyms
  • countless

    emphasises that the number cannot be counted at all; stronger and more formal

  • numerous

    more formal; suggests many but not necessarily an overwhelming amount

Grammar Patterns

a thousand + [plural noun]

Usage Note

This is a figure of speech (hyperbole) that emphasises that the quantity feels overwhelming. The exact number one thousand is not intended — it simply means 'very many'.

3. a figure between 1,000 and 999,999, used when the precise amount is not given or

3.numberB1
Definition

a figure between 1,000 and 999,999, used when the precise amount is not given or does not matter

Example

An antique landscape painting from the 1920s sold for several thousand dollars at a weekend auction.

several thousand + currency

The Maracanã stadium held twenty thousand spectators during the World Cup qualifying match.

Common collocations
  • several thousand
  • twenty thousand
  • in the thousands
  • thousands of dollars

Grammar Patterns

[determiner] + thousand + [countable noun]

in the thousands

Usage Note

Use the plural form 'thousand' (without -s) when a specific number or determiner precedes it ('several thousand', 'twenty thousand'). Use the phrase 'in the thousands' when describing an approximate range without a specific figure.

Common Mistakes

The crowd was in the thousand.
The crowd was in the thousands.
The prepositional phrase 'in the thousands' always takes the plural form.
Idioms

bat a thousand

idiom

To achieve perfect success in what you are doing.

Maya answered every question correctly and batted a thousand on the test.

Did Diego really bat a thousand in his sales calls today?

thousand — noun

Word family

  • thousands
    nounA2
  • thousandth
    adjectiveB1
  • thousandfold
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All three express large, unspecified quantities, but at different scales. 'Hundreds' suggests the smallest range, typically 200–999. 'Thousands' (the focus of this sense) spans from roughly 2,000 to 99,000. 'Millions' starts at roughly 2,000,000 and goes up. In everyday speech, English speakers choose the word that matches the general scale they imagine: 'hundreds of people' for a full restaurant, 'thousands of people' for a stadium crowd, and 'millions of people' for a national election turnout. Using the wrong level can confuse your listener — saying 'I paid hundreds of dollars for a used phone' is reasonable, but 'I paid thousands of dollars' sounds like you bought a car. Learning to match the scale word to the scenario will make your English sound much more natural.

thousandshundredsmillions

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in the thousands
  • by the thousands
  • thousands upon thousands
  • tens of thousands

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

The word 'thousand' comes from Old English 'þūsend', which is part of a shared Germanic word family. Its cousins include Dutch 'duizend' and German 'Tausend'. The original Germanic root probably meant 'swollen hundred' or 'strong hundred' — an ancient way of describing a number that was frighteningly large to early societies. The spelling has changed very little over the past thousand years, which is unusual among English number words.