"oughta" meaning in All languages combined

See oughta on Wiktionary

Contraction [English]

IPA: /ˈɔːtə/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ˈɔtə/ [General-American], [ˈɔɾə] [General-American], /ˈɑtə/ [cot-caught-merger], [ˈɑɾə] [cot-caught-merger] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-oughta.wav [US] Forms: orter [alternative]
Rhymes: -ɔːtə Head templates: {{en-head|contr}} oughta
  1. (colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to. Tags: abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, contraction, dialectal Alternative form of: ought to
    Sense id: en-oughta-en-contraction-R8kfSyab Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English non-constituents, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 52 48 Disambiguation of English non-constituents: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 52 48
  2. (colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to + have. Tags: abbreviation, alt-of, colloquial, contraction, dialectal Alternative form of: ought to (extra: + have)
    Sense id: en-oughta-en-contraction-17SfOKB0 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English non-constituents, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 52 48 Disambiguation of English non-constituents: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 48 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 52 48
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: to [particle]

Alternative forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "orter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "contr"
      },
      "expansion": "oughta",
      "name": "en-head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "contraction",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "particle"
      ],
      "word": "to"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "ought to"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English non-constituents",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              12
            ]
          ],
          "text": "There oughta be a law against that.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              83,
              89
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1995, “You Oughta Know”, in Jagged Little Pill, performed by Alanis Morissette:",
          "text": "It's not fair to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me / You, you, you oughta know",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of ought to."
      ],
      "id": "en-oughta-en-contraction-R8kfSyab",
      "links": [
        [
          "ought to",
          "ought to#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "colloquial",
        "contraction",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "+ have",
          "word": "ought to"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English non-constituents",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "52 48",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "text": "You oughta been here an hour ago.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of ought to + have."
      ],
      "id": "en-oughta-en-contraction-17SfOKB0",
      "links": [
        [
          "ought to",
          "ought to#English"
        ],
        [
          "have",
          "have#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to + have."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "colloquial",
        "contraction",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɔːtə/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɔtə/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈɔɾə]",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɑtə/",
      "tags": [
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈɑɾə]",
      "tags": [
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-oughta.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/32/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/32/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːtə"
    }
  ],
  "word": "oughta"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English contractions",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English non-constituents",
    "English non-lemma forms",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːtə",
    "Rhymes:English/ɔːtə/2 syllables"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "orter",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "contr"
      },
      "expansion": "oughta",
      "name": "en-head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "contraction",
  "related": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "particle"
      ],
      "word": "to"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "word": "ought to"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English contractions",
        "English dialectal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              6,
              12
            ]
          ],
          "text": "There oughta be a law against that.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              83,
              89
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1995, “You Oughta Know”, in Jagged Little Pill, performed by Alanis Morissette:",
          "text": "It's not fair to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me / You, you, you oughta know",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of ought to."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ought to",
          "ought to#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "colloquial",
        "contraction",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "alt_of": [
        {
          "extra": "+ have",
          "word": "ought to"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English colloquialisms",
        "English contractions",
        "English dialectal terms",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              10
            ]
          ],
          "text": "You oughta been here an hour ago.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Contraction of ought to + have."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ought to",
          "ought to#English"
        ],
        [
          "have",
          "have#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(colloquial or dialectal) Contraction of ought to + have."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "abbreviation",
        "alt-of",
        "colloquial",
        "contraction",
        "dialectal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɔːtə/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɔtə/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈɔɾə]",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈɑtə/",
      "tags": [
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[ˈɑɾə]",
      "tags": [
        "cot-caught-merger"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-oughta.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/32/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/3/32/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-oughta.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɔːtə"
    }
  ],
  "word": "oughta"
}

Download raw JSONL data for oughta meaning in All languages combined (2.6kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-20 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.