Idea I Good Don’t Family Gave Living Boat

• it would be a good idea to call before we leave.
• i like the idea of living on a boat.
• he already had an idea for his next novel.
• her family expected her to go to college, but she had other ideas.

idea

1. a plan, thought or suggestion, especially about what to do in a particular situation
• It would be a good idea to call before we leave.
• I like the idea of living on a boat.
• He already had an idea for his next novel.
• Her family expected her to go to college, but she had other ideas.
• The surprise party was Jane's idea.
• I’ve had a brilliant idea!
• It might be an idea (= it would be sensible) to try again later.
• We've been toying with the idea of (= thinking about) getting a dog.
• It seemed like a good idea at the time, and then it all went horribly wrong.
• We’re having a meeting to try to come up with ideas for fund-raising.
• The latest big idea is to make women more interested in sport.
2. a picture or an impression in your mind of what somebody/something is like
• The brochure should give you a good idea of the hotel.
• I had some idea of what the job would be like.
• She doesn't seem to have any idea of what I'm talking about.
• I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea (= getting the wrong impression about something).
• An evening at home watching TV is not my idea of a good time.
• If this is your idea of a joke, then I don’t find it very funny.
3. an opinion or a belief about something
• He has some very strange ideas about education.
4. a feeling that something is possible
• What gave you the idea that he'd be here?
• I have a pretty good idea where I left it—I hope I'm right.
5. the aim or purpose of something
• You'll soon get the idea (= understand).
• What's the idea of the game?
• The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.
• Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.
• She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
• Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
• I have no intention of going to the wedding.
• She’s full of good intentions but they rarely work out.
• There are no plans to build new offices.
• What’s the point of all this violence?
• The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries.
• The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend.
• What’s the idea behind this?
6. to start behaving in a more acceptable way, so that work gets done better, etc.
7. to give somebody hopes about something that may not be possible or likely; to make somebody act or think in an unreasonable way
• Who's been putting ideas into his head?
8. used to emphasize that you do not know something
• ‘What's she talking about?’ ‘I've no idea.’
• He hasn't the faintest idea how to manage people.
• I had no idea she’d had such a difficult life.
• I don’t have any idea where he is.
9. to have found a very good or successful way of living, doing something, etc.
• He's certainly got the right idea—retiring at 55.
10. used to reply in a positive way to a suggestion that somebody has made
• Hey, that's an idea! And we could get a band, as well.
11. used to encourage people and to tell them that they are doing something right
• That's the idea! You're doing fine.
12. used to show that something is hard for somebody else to imagine
• You've no idea how much traffic there was tonight.

Extra Examples

• Brainstorming is a good way of generating ideas.
• Do you have any ideas for a present for Lara?
• Family therapy is used as an alternative idea to medication.
• Give careful thought to how to structure your ideas in the essay.
• Group counselling is used as an alternative idea to punishment.
• He gave me a rough idea of what was wanted.
• He holds very different ideas to mine about discipline.
• He joined the company as an office assistant with big ideas.
• He kept turning the idea of resigning over in his mind.
• He’s obsessed with the idea of getting a motorbike.
• Her ideas are drawn mainly from Chinese art.
• His ideas flowed faster than he could express them.
• How could we translate the idea into business reality?
• I don’t know what to do, but I’m open to ideas.
• I don’t relish the idea of sharing an office with Tony.
• I don’t want anyone getting the wrong idea about me.
• I have an idea about how to tackle the problem.
• I haven’t got the faintest idea what she meant.
• I hope he’s not still harbouring ideas about asking me out.
• I met up with a designer to bounce a few ideas around.
• I think the whole idea is ridiculous.
• I wanted to put the idea out there.
• I wanted to take the week off, but my boss had other ideas.
• I’m toying with the idea of leaving my job.
• It might be an idea to leave a note on the door for Marcos.
• It was a struggle to get our ideas across.
• It’s useful to have someone to bounce ideas off.
• Most employees welcome the idea of a ban on smoking.
• People have a romantic idea of the police force.
• She accused the company of stealing her idea.
• She always tries to impose her own ideas on the rest of the team.
• She had the idea of advertising on the Internet.
• She has some funny ideas about how to motivate staff.
• She has very definite ideas about what kind of a job she wants.
• Some people started recycling, and the idea caught on.
• Some students started wearing denim, and the idea caught on.
• Swimming in an icy river is not my idea of fun.
• That idea didn’t work out so well.
• The basic idea is that we all meet up in London.
• The book introduces the key ideas of sociology.
• The book puts across complex ideas in a way anyone can understand.
• The germ of his idea came from watching a bird make a nest.
• The idea behind the ceremony is to keep the gods happy to ensure a good crop.
• The idea eventually led to the invention of the telephone.
• The idea for the Olympics originated with Pierre de Coubertin.
• The idea for the invention came to him in the bath.
• The idea had long been mooted but nothing had been done to put it into practice.
• The idea has now blossomed into a successful mail-order business.
• The idea of going to his rescue amused her.
• The latest big idea is to get women more interested in soccer.
• The movie is based on a simple idea, but a powerful one.
• The party had the right idea, but failed to win over the voters.
• These photographs challenge conventional ideas of beauty.
• They had to reconsider their ideas in the light of new evidence.
• They managed to push the idea of expanding through the committee.
• They seem to have got the idea that we will be giving them a lift.
• We were asked to suggest ideas for improving efficiency.
• What gave you the idea to go freelance?
• You’ll soon get the idea.
• a system of decision-making that stifles original ideas
• the experiences that shaped her ideas
• He hadn’t had the slightest idea about what had been going on.
• He’s definitely an ideas person.
• Her family wanted her to go to college, but she had other ideas.
• Her ideas on the family are pretty old-fashioned.
• I had an idea of where it might be.
• I have a pretty good idea who might have said that.
• I like the idea of living in a boat.
• I’d like to explore this idea in a bit more detail.
• I’ve got a good idea.
• If this is your idea of a joke, then I don’t find it very funny.
• It might be an idea to try again later.
• It seemed like a good idea at the time.
• My original idea was to use amateur actors.
• She doesn’t seem to have any idea of what I’m talking about.
• She’s always full of bright ideas.
• That’s a brilliant idea!
• The idea never crossed my mind.
• The idea that I was only interested in making money is ludicrous.
• The idea that she was involved in any way is absolutely ridiculous.
• The party was Jane’s idea.
• We need to have an meeting in order to bounce a few ideas around.
• What gave you the idea that he’d be here?
• What’s the idea of all this?
• Who on earth came up with that idea?

Word Origin

• late Middle English (as a term in Platonic philosophy): via Latin from Greek idea ‘form, pattern’, from the base of idein ‘to see’.