would have thought

USAGE SUMMARY

"would have thought" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to express the idea that someone is surprised by something. For example: "I never would have thought she would win the race, she was so inexperienced!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Who would have thought?

The New York Times

Who would have thought that?

The New York Times - Sports

Who would have thought it?

The New York Times - Sports

Simple, you would have thought.

The Guardian

Who else would have thought that way?

The New York Times - Sports

Anyway, nobody would have thought to look.

The New Yorker

More fragile than he would have thought.

The New Yorker

Plucky little Canada, people would have thought.

The New Yorker

Who would have thought that in 1996?

The Economist

"No man would have thought of this".

The New York Times

Never, ever would have thought of that.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "would have thought" with qualifiers like 'never' or 'hardly' to emphasize the degree of surprise or improbability.

Common error

Avoid using "would have thought" to describe current beliefs or expectations. This phrase refers to past assumptions and expectations, not present ones.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "would have thought" functions as a modal construction expressing a past expectation or belief that turned out to be incorrect or surprising. It's often used to introduce a contrast between what was anticipated and what actually happened. Ludwig provides many examples showing this contrast.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Academia

15%

Science

6%

Less common in

Formal & Business

2%

Reference

1%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "would have thought" is a common phrase used to express surprise or a past expectation that was not met. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used. Its primary function is to highlight a contrast between what was expected and what actually happened. While suitable for various contexts, it appears most frequently in news and media. Remember to use it to refer to past assumptions, not present beliefs, and avoid the incorrect form "would of thought".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

would have imagined

Focuses on the act of imagining something beforehand, similar to thinking about it.

would have believed

Emphasizes a prior belief or assumption, sharing the sense of expectation with the original phrase.

would have expected

Highlights anticipation or expectation, aligning with the idea of what one thought would happen.

would have predicted

Stresses foreseeing or anticipating a future event based on prior knowledge or assumptions.

might have guessed

Suggests a tentative prediction or assumption, similar to a less certain form of thought.

could have anticipated

Emphasizes the ability to foresee an event, sharing the aspect of expectation.

should have foreseen

Highlights a missed opportunity to predict or anticipate something, implying a failure in prior thought.

never anticipated

Indicates a complete lack of prior expectation or thought about a particular outcome.

had no idea

Expresses a lack of awareness or prior knowledge, similar to not having thought about something.

didn't see coming

Highlights the unexpected nature of an event, implying that it was not something one would have thought of beforehand.

FAQs

How can I use "would have thought" in a sentence?

Use "would have thought" to express surprise or a past expectation that wasn't met. For example, "I would have thought he'd be here by now, but he's late."

What's a more formal alternative to "would have thought"?

In formal contexts, consider alternatives like "would have expected" or "would have anticipated" for a similar meaning with a more sophisticated tone.

Is it correct to say "would of thought" instead of "would have thought"?

No, "would of thought" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "would have thought". The contraction "would've" (would have) is acceptable in informal writing.

What's the difference between "would have thought" and "should have thought"?

"Would have thought" expresses a past expectation or assumption, while "should have thought" expresses regret or criticism for not considering something earlier. The first is descriptive, the second is prescriptive.