Have a thing for something meaning

Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

What is the meaning of "took right to something" as in "It was amazing how some of them took right to the sport"?  — Rusydi, Indonesia

To "take to (something or someone)" means to begin to like that thing or person, or to begin doing something easily. If someone "took right to the sport" it means that person learned how to play the sport quickly and easily. If someone "took to the new student on the first day of class" it means that person liked the new student on the first day of class. Below are some example sentences using the phrasal verb "take to."

• She quickly took to tap dancing. [=she learned to tap dance quickly and easily]
• He took to the new job instantly. [=he instantly liked the job and was good at it]
• The couple quickly took to married life. [=they quickly and easily enjoyed living as a married couple]
• Kids take to new routines quickly. [=kids quickly learn new routines and follow them with ease]
• They hoped their dog would take to the new kitten. [=they hoped the dog would like the new kitten]
• The boy took to his baby sister right away. [=the boy liked his baby sister right away]

There are many ways the verb "take" can be used, and it is used in many idioms and phrasal verbs, so don’t worry if it still seems like a tricky word. This is just one way it is used.

There is no such thing as speech so hateful or offensive it somehow “justifies” or “legitimizes” the use of violence.

• No one seems to know who that is—or why they would want to do such a thing.

• "There's just one thing I'd like to ask, if you don't mind," said Cynthia, coming suddenly out of a brown study.

• That it is a reasonable and proper thing to ask our statesmen and politicians: what is going to happen to the world?

• Of course the expression of this value is modified and characterized by the nature of the thing spoken of.

• It is only just to say, that the officers exhibited a degree of courage far beyond any thing we had expected from them.

• Now-a-days it is the bankrupt who flouts, and his too confiding creditors who are jeered and laughed at.

  From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishhave a thing about somebody/somethinghave a thing about somebody/somethinginformalDON'T LIKE to like or dislike someone or something very much, often without a good reason  She’s always had a thing about Peter. → thingExamples from the Corpushave a thing about somebody/something• Judith has a thing about people chewing gum.• But, in this country, we used to have a thing about self-sufficiency.

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  To have a romantic infatuation with someone, especially unbeknownst to that person. I had a thing for one of my colleagues for a while, but I decided not to pursue it for the sake of our work. I hear that Samantha has a thing for John.

  To have a very keen or particular interest in something; to really like or enjoy something. John has a thing for antique books. He's always on the lookout for new ones to add to his collection. I know they're stupid, but I've always had a thing for cheesy horror movies.

  Meaning of have a thing about something/someone in English

  have a thing about something/someone

  idiom   informal

  to like or dislike something or someone very much:

  Ben's got a thing about Harley Davidsons - he's got three of them.

  She's got a thing about spiders - she won't go near them.

  SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

  Liking

  • adorkable
  • affection
  • appreciate
  • attached
  • be a glutton for something idiom
  • be a hit with someone idiom
  • dig
  • gravitate towards/to something/someone
  • grow on someone
  • have a lot of time for someone idiom
  • lick your lips idiom
  • liking
  • shook
  • smile
  • smile on something/someone
  • smitten
  • soft corner
  • taste
  • tight
  • warm

  See more results »

  You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

  Not liking

   

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  (Definition of have a thing about something/someone from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

   

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  have a sting in the/its tail idiom

  have a strong stomach idiom

  have a strop on idiom

  have a thin time (of it) idiom

  have a thing about something/someone idiom

  have a weak stomach idiom

  have a whale of a time idiom

  have a word in someone's ear idiom

  have a, some, etc. say in something idiom

  What does it mean when you have a thing for someone?

  To have a romantic infatuation with someone, especially unbeknownst to that person.

  What is another word for having a thing for someone?

  What is another word for having a thing for?.

  When you have a knack for something?

  If you have a knack for doing something, you do it well. You may have a knack for baking cakes or a knack for cracking jokes. These things come easy to you. Although the noun knack refers to a special talent, the sense is that it is a more innate talent — as opposed to a certain technique.

  What is a something for something?

  Comparing specific elements, attributes, or aspects of two different people or things.