to ruminate

Examples

• All

• After dinner that night, I was ruminating on Mr. Fred's loneliness when the phone rang.

  Fiction book (2000)

• I have to study things, ruminate, and decide.

  Fiction book (2000)

• And what it turned into was a chance to ruminate on work.

  ReasonTV

• And then you have to sit down, ruminate and understand that many have said this before.

  Film Courage

• We'll start with it on Wednesday and I'll let you ruminate over this the next couple of days.

• Why don't the two of you get a flat somewhere together, and you can ruminate on your problems all day?

  How to Be (2008)

• THE PROFESSOR: Together, Solti and I would ruminate over every measure of music.

  Fiction book (1997)

• Marie would often spend hours ruminating about the day's events and her perceived inadequacies.

  Academic text (2005)

• Her father's eyes were half-hooded, a distant smile on his face, as if he were ruminating on a chess move.

  Fiction book (1999)

• After the meeting, I took some time to ruminate on the feedback I received from my colleagues.

Synonyms

T

to think

vsto ruminate

∞ 1.0

To use your mind to consider something carefully

is a narrower form focused on long, deep, careful contemplation

T

to think about

vsto ruminate

∞ 1.0

To give attention to something in your mind

is deeper and more prolonged than general mental attention

R

to reflect

vsto ruminate

265 3.9

To think carefully about something before making a decision

often involves longer, more rumination-style pondering over time

C

to contemplate

vsto ruminate

186 4.8

To think deeply about something for a long time

tends to emphasize longer, more sustained mental dwelling

P

to ponder

vsto ruminate

134 4.3

Think carefully for a long time about something

is often similarly deep but highlights prolonged, repeated thought

R

to reflect on

vsto ruminate

120 4.0

To think carefully about something and what it means

leans more toward extended, often repeated internal consideration

M

to meditate

vsto ruminate

104 4.4

To sit quietly and focus your mind to relax or think deeply

is more about extended careful thought, not relaxation or ritual focus

M

to mull

vsto ruminate

36 4.7

Think carefully for a long time before making a decision

is similar but places stronger weight on prolonged mental revisiting

M

to muse

vsto ruminate

35 6.1

To think about something carefully for a long time

is more active and repeatedly dwelling on the same thoughts

M

to mull over

vsto ruminate

19 4.0

To think carefully about something before deciding

is usually more immersive and repeated in the thinking process

C

to chew on

vsto ruminate

• Informal

14 3.9

To think carefully about something for a while before deciding

is generally deeper and more sustained than merely testing ideas

T

to think over

vsto ruminate

8 3.0

To look at something carefully before deciding

involves longer, more repetitive mental processing than that

C

to chew over

vsto ruminate

• Informal

3 4.1

To think about or talk about something carefully for a long time

focuses more on long internal chewing rather than discussion

C

to cogitate

vsto ruminate

• Formal

3 8.5

To think carefully and deeply about something

is more likely to imply ongoing, longer-lasting mental turning over

P

to ponder over

vsto ruminate

1 4.1

To think carefully about something for a long time

is usually even more prolonged and deeply focused than that

E

to excogitate

vsto ruminate

• Formal

9.9

To think very carefully to find a new idea or solution

is broader, not necessarily aimed specifically at producing solutions

Antonyms

I

to ignore

∞ 1.0

Choose not to pay attention to someone or something

D

to disregard

119 3.9

Ignore something or someone on purpose

How Thoughtful

to brood

28 6.1

to ruminate

10 7.6

to ponder

134 4.3

to reflect

265 3.9

to consider

∞ 1.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology