See who would have thunk it in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
Download JSON data for who would have thunk it meaning in English (7.4kB)
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "thunk"
},
"expansion": "thunk",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nonstandard"
},
"expansion": "nonstandard",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "past"
},
"expansion": "past",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "participle"
},
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"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "think"
},
"expansion": "think",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The word thunk is a humorous, nonstandard past participle of think.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "phrase"
},
"expansion": "who would have thunk it",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "phrase",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
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{
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"parents": [
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"Idioms",
"Questions",
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"Figures of speech",
"Terms by semantic function",
"Rhetoric",
"Language",
"Communication",
"All topics",
"Fundamental"
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},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Serbo-Croatian terms with redundant script codes",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant script codes",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1895 September, Frances Cora Perce, “A Sonata of the Woods”, in W. S. B. Mathews, editor, Music. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music, volume VIII, Chicago, Ill.: The Music Magazine Publishing Company […], →OCLC, pages 478–479",
"text": "He stayed until he saw she had recovered her self possession, then he left, telegraphed to Mr. Hinsdale of Helen's safe arrival—always the same thoughtful fellow—and then went home and wrote sonnets to his lady love. \"Who'd have thunk it of 'im?\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1906, Ralph Henry Barbour, “In the Rowing-room”, in Captain of the Crew, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton and Company, page 147",
"text": "\"Hello, Muggs!\" he cried, vainly trying to bestow a pat upon that unquiet animal. \"Say, Trevor, hasn't he grown? He's twice the size he was when you got him!\" / \"It's a way puppies have.\" / \"You don't say so? Who'd have thunk it![…]\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1916 February 15, “Bodemann’s Aphorisms”, in Romaine Pierson, editor, The Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews, volume XXXIV, number 2, New York, N.Y.: Published by Romaine Pierson, […], →OCLC, page 31, column 1",
"text": "Think of it, the N.A.R.D. Journal has included in its propaganda work a forcible crusade against long speeches! Wonders never cease; who would have \"thunk it\"? Is brevity a lost art? With all the ridicule, satire, hissing and rotten eggs showered upon long windedness, it still remains with us.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1988, Marcia Ann Gillespie, “Something to Celebrate: Thanks to Jesse Jackson, We are Emerging from the Reagan Years with a New Willingness to Pull Together Again”, in Ms., volume 17, New York, N.Y.: Liberty Media for Women, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 22, column 1",
"text": "Who would have thunk it? Had anyone told me some 10 years ago that I would be alive to see a black person run for President of the United States and be taken seriously, I would have asked what they were tripping on.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2001, Stephen King, Dreamcatcher, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books; 1st Gallery Books trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Gallery Books, January 2018, page 462",
"text": "From somewhere in their well-fed, timorous, it-can't-happen-here ranks, a Spartacus had arisen—who would have thunk it?",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?"
],
"id": "en-who_would_have_thunk_it-en-phrase-~YBZpnFQ",
"links": [
[
"sarcastic",
"sarcastic"
],
[
"rhetorical question",
"rhetorical question#English"
],
[
"incredulity",
"incredulity#English"
],
[
"guessed",
"guess#Verb"
],
[
"thought",
"think#Verb"
],
[
"happen",
"happen"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?"
],
"related": [
{
"word": "what do you know"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "who would have thought it"
},
{
"word": "who'd a thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who'da thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who'd have thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who woulda thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who would've thunk it"
}
],
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"sarcastic",
"sometimes"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "wie had dat gedacht?"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "qui l’eût cru"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "wer hätte das gedacht?"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "poios tha to písteve",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ποιος θα το πίστευε"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ki gondolta volna?"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ki hitte volna?"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "chi l'avrebbe detto?"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "chi l'avrebbe mai detto?"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "kto by pomyślał?"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "quem diria?"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kto by mog podúmatʹ",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "кто бы мог поду́мать?"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"roman": "ko b' rek'o",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ко б' рек'о?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "¿quién lo hubiera dicho?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "¿quién lo hubiera pensado?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"tags": [
"Spain",
"vulgar"
],
"word": "¡nos ha jodido mayo con las flores!"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "vem kunde ha anat?"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "xto b mih podúmaty?",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "хто б міг поду́мати?"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ai dè?"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈhuː wʊd həv ˈθʌŋk ɪt/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-who would have thunk it.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/29/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "who would have thunk it"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "thunk"
},
"expansion": "thunk",
"name": "m"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "nonstandard"
},
"expansion": "nonstandard",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
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},
"expansion": "past",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
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},
"expansion": "participle",
"name": "glossary"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "think"
},
"expansion": "think",
"name": "m"
}
],
"etymology_text": "The word thunk is a humorous, nonstandard past participle of think.",
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "phrase"
},
"expansion": "who would have thunk it",
"name": "head"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "phrase",
"related": [
{
"word": "what do you know"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English colloquialisms",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English phrases",
"English rhetorical questions",
"English sarcastic terms",
"English terms with IPA pronunciation",
"English terms with audio links",
"English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
"English terms with quotations",
"Serbo-Croatian terms with redundant script codes"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1895 September, Frances Cora Perce, “A Sonata of the Woods”, in W. S. B. Mathews, editor, Music. A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art, Science, Technic and Literature of Music, volume VIII, Chicago, Ill.: The Music Magazine Publishing Company […], →OCLC, pages 478–479",
"text": "He stayed until he saw she had recovered her self possession, then he left, telegraphed to Mr. Hinsdale of Helen's safe arrival—always the same thoughtful fellow—and then went home and wrote sonnets to his lady love. \"Who'd have thunk it of 'im?\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1906, Ralph Henry Barbour, “In the Rowing-room”, in Captain of the Crew, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton and Company, page 147",
"text": "\"Hello, Muggs!\" he cried, vainly trying to bestow a pat upon that unquiet animal. \"Say, Trevor, hasn't he grown? He's twice the size he was when you got him!\" / \"It's a way puppies have.\" / \"You don't say so? Who'd have thunk it![…]\"",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1916 February 15, “Bodemann’s Aphorisms”, in Romaine Pierson, editor, The Practical Druggist and Pharmaceutical Review of Reviews, volume XXXIV, number 2, New York, N.Y.: Published by Romaine Pierson, […], →OCLC, page 31, column 1",
"text": "Think of it, the N.A.R.D. Journal has included in its propaganda work a forcible crusade against long speeches! Wonders never cease; who would have \"thunk it\"? Is brevity a lost art? With all the ridicule, satire, hissing and rotten eggs showered upon long windedness, it still remains with us.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1988, Marcia Ann Gillespie, “Something to Celebrate: Thanks to Jesse Jackson, We are Emerging from the Reagan Years with a New Willingness to Pull Together Again”, in Ms., volume 17, New York, N.Y.: Liberty Media for Women, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 22, column 1",
"text": "Who would have thunk it? Had anyone told me some 10 years ago that I would be alive to see a black person run for President of the United States and be taken seriously, I would have asked what they were tripping on.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "2001, Stephen King, Dreamcatcher, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books; 1st Gallery Books trade paperback edition, New York, N.Y.: Gallery Books, January 2018, page 462",
"text": "From somewhere in their well-fed, timorous, it-can't-happen-here ranks, a Spartacus had arisen—who would have thunk it?",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?"
],
"links": [
[
"sarcastic",
"sarcastic"
],
[
"rhetorical question",
"rhetorical question#English"
],
[
"incredulity",
"incredulity#English"
],
[
"guessed",
"guess#Verb"
],
[
"thought",
"think#Verb"
],
[
"happen",
"happen"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?"
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "who would have thought it"
}
],
"tags": [
"colloquial",
"sarcastic",
"sometimes"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/ˈhuː wʊd həv ˈθʌŋk ɪt/",
"tags": [
"General-American",
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-au-who would have thunk it.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/29/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/En-au-who_would_have_thunk_it.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "who'd a thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who'da thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who'd have thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who woulda thunk it"
},
{
"word": "who would've thunk it"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "wie had dat gedacht?"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "qui l’eût cru"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "wer hätte das gedacht?"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "poios tha to písteve",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ποιος θα το πίστευε"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ki gondolta volna?"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ki hitte volna?"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "chi l'avrebbe detto?"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "chi l'avrebbe mai detto?"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "kto by pomyślał?"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "quem diria?"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kto by mog podúmatʹ",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "кто бы мог поду́мать?"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"roman": "ko b' rek'o",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ко б' рек'о?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "¿quién lo hubiera dicho?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "¿quién lo hubiera pensado?"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"tags": [
"Spain",
"vulgar"
],
"word": "¡nos ha jodido mayo con las flores!"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "vem kunde ha anat?"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "xto b mih podúmaty?",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "хто б міг поду́мати?"
},
{
"code": "vi",
"lang": "Vietnamese",
"sense": "who would have guessed it?",
"word": "ai dè?"
}
],
"word": "who would have thunk it"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). 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.