"have a thing" meaning in English

See have a thing in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: has a thing [present, singular, third-person], having a thing [participle, present], had a thing [participle, past], had a thing [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|have<has,,had> a thing}} have a thing (third-person singular simple present has a thing, present participle having a thing, simple past and past participle had a thing), {{tlb|en|informal}} (informal)
  1. To be in a casual or illicit romantic relationship. Tags: informal Synonyms: have a thing going on
    Sense id: en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:have_a_thing_going_on__romantically
  2. To have a crush on, or a soft spot for, someone or something. [(usually) with for] Tags: informal Synonyms: have the hots for, fancy
    Sense id: en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:be_partial_or_predisposed Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 22 73 4 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 21 74 5 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 21 75 4
  3. To have an issue, such as a hang-up. [(usually) with about] Tags: informal
    Sense id: en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:have_a_problem
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "has a thing",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "having a thing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "had a thing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "had a thing",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "have<has,,had> a thing"
      },
      "expansion": "have a thing (third-person singular simple present has a thing, present participle having a thing, simple past and past participle had a thing)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "informal"
      },
      "expansion": "(informal)",
      "name": "tlb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              26
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Brad and Mary have a thing.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They’ve got a thing.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They had a thing, but it's over now.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be in a casual or illicit romantic relationship."
      ],
      "id": "en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:have_a_thing_going_on__romantically",
      "links": [
        [
          "casual",
          "casual"
        ],
        [
          "illicit",
          "illicit"
        ],
        [
          "romantic",
          "romantic"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:have a thing going on, romantically"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "have a thing going on"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "22 73 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 74 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "21 75 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Brad has a thing for Mary.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              2,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "text": "I have a thing for ghost stories.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have a crush on, or a soft spot for, someone or something."
      ],
      "id": "en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:be_partial_or_predisposed",
      "links": [
        [
          "crush",
          "crush"
        ],
        [
          "soft spot",
          "soft spot"
        ],
        [
          "for",
          "for#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "To have a crush on, or a soft spot for, someone or something. [(usually) with for]"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:be partial or predisposed"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "have the hots for"
        },
        {
          "word": "fancy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              47,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Don't ask Mary to drive you there, because she has a thing about highway driving. It sometimes gives her panic attacks.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He has a thing about not stepping on sidewalk cracks.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have an issue, such as a hang-up."
      ],
      "id": "en-have_a_thing-en-verb-en:have_a_problem",
      "links": [
        [
          "hang-up",
          "hang-up#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "about",
          "about#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "To have an issue, such as a hang-up. [(usually) with about]"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:have a problem"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "have a thing"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English informal terms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "has a thing",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "having a thing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "had a thing",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "had a thing",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "have<has,,had> a thing"
      },
      "expansion": "have a thing (third-person singular simple present has a thing, present participle having a thing, simple past and past participle had a thing)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "informal"
      },
      "expansion": "(informal)",
      "name": "tlb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              26
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Brad and Mary have a thing.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              4,
              19
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They’ve got a thing.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "They had a thing, but it's over now.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be in a casual or illicit romantic relationship."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "casual",
          "casual"
        ],
        [
          "illicit",
          "illicit"
        ],
        [
          "romantic",
          "romantic"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ]
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:have a thing going on, romantically"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "have a thing going on"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              5,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Brad has a thing for Mary.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              2,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "text": "I have a thing for ghost stories.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have a crush on, or a soft spot for, someone or something."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "crush",
          "crush"
        ],
        [
          "soft spot",
          "soft spot"
        ],
        [
          "for",
          "for#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "To have a crush on, or a soft spot for, someone or something. [(usually) with for]"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:be partial or predisposed"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "have the hots for"
        },
        {
          "word": "fancy"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              47,
              58
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Don't ask Mary to drive you there, because she has a thing about highway driving. It sometimes gives her panic attacks.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              3,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "text": "He has a thing about not stepping on sidewalk cracks.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To have an issue, such as a hang-up."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "hang-up",
          "hang-up#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "about",
          "about#English"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "To have an issue, such as a hang-up. [(usually) with about]"
      ],
      "senseid": [
        "en:have a problem"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "have a thing"
}

Download raw JSONL data for have a thing meaning in English (2.7kB)

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    "TEMPLATE_FN"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "have a thing",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "info_templates/78",
  "msg": "INFO-TEMPLATES: `Template:+obj` expansion does not match regex: [(usually) with about]",
  "path": [
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  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "have a thing",
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}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (3dadd05 and f1c2b61). 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.