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Glite Dictionary
to collect one's thoughts

to collect one's thoughts

6 4.3
To take time to put your ideas in order and calm down before you speak
  • idiom
translation icon : organizar los pensamientos
  • I need a few minutes to collect my thoughts before I respond.
  • trying to collect my thoughts
  • paused to collect her thoughts
  • moment to collect her thoughts

Examples

  • Off the highway, a red light gave her a moment to collect her thoughts.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Only the seat by the door is empty, and she sits there, collecting her thoughts.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Oh, he just went out to get some air, collect his thoughts.

    Brutal Season (2022)

  • Stay around here, collect your thoughts.

    Calendar Girl (1993)

  • I kept meaning to come up here and look out over town and collect my thoughts.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • I need to collect my thoughts, I'll tell you.

    Grandma (2015)

  • Doing that allowed him to collect his thoughts and reply carefully.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Clarice looks down at her papers, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • Rowe spent a moment collecting his thoughts before he started speaking.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • After he'd left, I sat on the couch for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

to gather one's thoughts
vsto collect one's thoughts
6 4.4

Pause and think clearly before you speak or decide

is used to pause and prepare thinking for clear speech rather than immediate choice
to get one's head together
vsto collect one's thoughts
  • Informal
5 7.7

Put your thoughts and feelings in order after a time of confusion

is about taking time to arrange ideas for clear thinking or speaking
to clear one's head
vsto collect one's thoughts
1 3.9

To stop thinking about upsetting or confusing thoughts to feel calmer

is about actively taking time to order ideas and feelings for clear speech
to get your head together
vsto collect one's thoughts
  • Informal
1 7.2

To organize your thoughts and feelings after feeling confused or upset

is used to take time and order ideas so thinking and speaking are clearer
to untangle one's thoughts
vsto collect one's thoughts
6.3

To make your ideas clear and organized after feeling confused

is used more generally to take time and prepare for clear speech

Antonyms

to scatter
110 2.7

To make people or animals move quickly in different directions

How Composed

to compose
33 4.7
to collect one's thoughts
6 4.3

Surface Forms

collect one's thoughts infinitive
collected one's thoughts past
collected one's thoughts past participle
collecting one's thoughts present participle
collects one's thoughts third person singular

Morphology

collect + one + thought

The meaning is directly derived from combining 'collect' (to gather) with 'one's thoughts' (one's ideas or mental contents): it literally means to gather or bring together one's ideas so they are organized. This compositional pattern (gathering mental items) is straightforward and commonly expressed across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The phrase collect one's thoughts comes from the image of using your hands to collect scattered thoughts, like loose papers on a table, and put them back in order. So, it now means 'to calm down and organize your ideas' before you speak or act.