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Glite Dictionary
on one's mind

on one's mind

3.5
Thinking about something a lot and feeling worried
  • idiom
translation icon : preocupado
  • You got something on your mind.

Examples

Synonyms

to think about
vson one's mind
∞ 1.0

To give attention to something in your mind

is continuous preoccupation rather than occasional consideration
to think of
vson one's mind
∞ 1.0

Keep a person or thing in your mind when making plans

is ongoing worry or concern, not only keeping options in mind
to obsess
vson one's mind
304 5.5

To think about something so much that it makes you worried

is continuous concern but less extreme and less uncontrollable
on my mind
vson one's mind
275 3.4

You keep thinking about something and cannot stop

is the general impersonal expression for continuous concern
to keep in mind
vson one's mind
240 3.0

To remember something when making decisions or thinking about it

is constant occupying thought, not only occasional remembering
to preoccupy
vson one's mind
70 6.3

To take all of someone's attention so they cannot think of other things

is a continuous concern without necessarily excluding other thoughts
to fixate
vson one's mind
46 7.0

To think about someone or something all the time

is continuous thinking but usually not exclusive or rigid
to obsess about
vson one's mind
26 6.0

Think too much about something so you feel unhappy

is a continuous concern but not necessarily unhelpful or excessive

Antonyms

unconcerned
16 3.9

Not worried or showing little interest

How Preoccupied

to worry about
∞ 2.0
on one's mind
3.5
to think about
∞ 1.0
to ponder
134 4.3

Surface Forms

on one's mind main

Morphology

on + one's + mind

The meaning is directly derivable from 'on' (indicating location/continuity) + 'mind' (the thinking faculty): it conveys that something occupies or is located in someone's thoughts. The possessive 'one's' only specifies whose mind, and the same locative-mental metaphor is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

The idiom on one's mind comes from the image of a small thing resting on your mind, like a weight you notice all the time. That's why it means 'continuously thinking about something' or 'being preoccupied'.