thingy
thingy — noun
1. an informal word you say in place of a name you have forgotten or do not conside
an informal word you say in place of a name you have forgotten or do not consider important enough to recall — works for a person, an object, or a location
Asher handed Mizuki the small metal thingy for fixing the shelf.
thingy as a vague substitute for a forgotten object name
Can you pass me that red thingy on the kitchen counter, Roya?
I ran into thingy from accounting — you know, the tall guy with glasses.
Quan asked Cole to bring the camping thingy they keep in the garage.
Where is that little thingy you use to open the bottle, Zuri?
- thingamajig
more playful and slightly old-fashioned; used mainly for objects
- whatchamacallit
longer and more self-consciously vague; only for objects
- whatsit
shorter and very casual; common in British English
- doohickey
common in American English; refers specifically to small tools or gadgets
文法句型
the + thingy + [modifier phrase]
thingy + from + [place/group]
that/this + [adjective] + thingy
用法筆記
Almost exclusively spoken and informal. Avoid in essays, business letters, or any formal context. The listener usually needs to see or already know what you are pointing to; using thingy over the phone without context can cause confusion.
常見錯誤
❗ 'The CEO mentioned the thingy in the quarterly report.' ✅ 'The CEO mentioned the new software tool in the quarterly report.' — thingy is too casual for professional or formal writing.