Looking up...
to come into someone's mind as a thought or idea
Did it ever occur to you that we might be lost?
Did you ever think about the possibility that we might be lost?
It occurred to me that we should check the map again.
I realized that we should look at the map again.
Used to introduce a thought or idea that someone has just had. Often used in questions or negative statements.
Avoid using 'occur to' with a direct object. Incorrect: 'It occurred the problem to me.' Correct: 'It occurred to me that there was a problem.'
The subject of 'occur to' is always an idea or thought, not a person. The person is the indirect object (e.g., 'it occurred to me').
From Latin 'occurrere' (to run towards), via Old French 'occurrer' and Middle English 'occuren'. The phrasal verb 'occur to' emerged in the 17th century, evolving from the literal sense of 'to present itself' to the figurative sense of 'to come to mind'.
This phrasal verb is always used with an indirect object (e.g., 'it occurred to me', 'did it occur to you?'). It is not used in the passive voice. The subject is typically an idea or thought, not a person.