be supposed to
(Redirected from supposed to)
English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (US) IPA(key): /bi(ː) səˈpoʊs ˌtu/ (stressed)
Audio (US) (file) - (US) IPA(key): /bi(ː) səˈpoʊs tə/ (unstressed)
Verb[edit]
be supposed to (third-person singular simple present is supposed to, present participle being supposed to, simple past was supposed to, past participle been supposed to)
- (idiomatic) To be required to, ought to, expected to
- I am supposed to report to the police every week.
- Paul is supposed to call his mother every day.
- (idiomatic, with not) To be permitted to.
- I am not supposed to smoke there.
- (idiomatic, in interrogative or similar situations) To be expected to; to be capable of (used to indicate that an expectation is impossible or unreasonable in the context).
- How am I supposed to work in all this racket?
- What was he supposed to do—just sit there and do nothing?
- (idiomatic) To intended to; to be expected to; to believed to.
- It's supposed to rain.
- The thief is supposed to be hiding in the forest.
Usage notes[edit]
- Followed by an obligatory bare infinitive.
- Often implies that the opposite is a strong possibility.
Synonyms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Required to
References[edit]
- “be supposed to”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.