muse

1 of 3

verb

ˈmyüz 

mused; musing

intransitive verb

1

: to become absorbed in thought

especially : to think about something carefully and thoroughly

musing about what might have been

2

archaic : wonder, marvel

transitive verb

: to think or say (something) in a thoughtful way

"I could sell the house," she mused, "but where would I go?"

muser noun

muse

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction

thrown into a muse by the book she was reading

muse

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

capitalized : any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and the arts and sciences

Clio is the Greek Muse of history.

2

: a source of inspiration

especially : a guiding genius

The writer's beloved wife was his muse.

3

: poet

Did you know?

Muse on this: the word muse comes from the Anglo-French muser, meaning “to gape, to idle, to muse.” (Amuse has the same source.) The image evoked is one of a thinker so absorbed in thought as to be unconsciously open-mouthed. Those who muse on their pets’ musings might like to know that muser is ultimately from Latin musus, meaning “mouth of an animal”—also source of the word muzzle. The sister goddesses of Greek mythology known as the Muses have no etymological link: that word, which in lowercase refers to a source of inspiration, comes from Greek Mousa. The ultimate Greek origin of the word museum translates as “of the Muses.”

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• bard
• minstrel
• poet
• poetaster
• rhymester
• rimester
• versifier

Choose the Right Synonym for muse

ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately.

ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption.

ruminated on past disappointments

Examples of muse in a Sentence

Verb

I could sell the house, she mused, but then where would I go?

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Bon Jovi then went on to muse about the pressure that comes with being the frontman of an iconic rock band and fulfilling fans’ expectations. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

Jessica Alba reflects during eclipse and sends 'so much love and light' Jessica Alba was also feeling contemplative and shared several paragraphs musing about the event's impact. —Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024

And Larry walks free, musing to Jerry that this is how Seinfeld should've ended. —Judy Berman, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024

Others muse about the idea of swapping out the president or the vice president for a new, better candidate. —Tamara Keith, NPR, 7 Apr. 2024

When Iger seemed to muse aloud about spinning off ESPN, though, Pitaro was said to be a good soldier and didn’t complain. —Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Wilson mused that lots of factors could have gone into not having those feelings sooner. —Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024

Some of us laughed heartily, some of us mused heavily, some of us did both. —Neal B. Freeman, National Review, 12 Mar. 2024

Since 1987, his team has been musing about caecilians making milk. —Sofia Quaglia, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024

Noun

Anne Hathaway Channels Barbie in All-Pink Look During Valentino Fashion Show in Rome Florence Pugh, who became a Valentino ambassador in April 2023, has easily become one of Piccioli’s celebrity muses. —Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024

Alexis Bloom & Svetlana Zill (USA), 2023 An exploration of the life of Anita Pallenberg, European actress and rock ’n’ roll muse. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024

In 1996, style muse Carolyn Basette married John Kennnedy Jr. in rustic Cumberland Island, Georgia. —Shelby Ying Hyde, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024

The students were divided into four teams, with each team charge to find a muse/collaborator within their respective category — to ensure primary research and a meaningful outcome. —Lyn Slater, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024

The designer had no celebrity muses, no socialite benefactors, no influencer ambassadors. —Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2024

With archetypes of the communicator, muse, and networker, Geminis’ biggest fear is to be alone. —Michaela Trimble, Vogue, 13 Mar. 2024

For more than three decades, the environment has been a muse for Miami artist, Xavier Cortada. —Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024

To say that It-Girl and 1960s gamine-about-London Patricia Anne (Pattie) Boyd was a muse to George Harrison and Eric Clapton, two of the most influential guitarists in rock, is to understate her influence on British music and British fashion between 1964 and 1988. —Guy Martin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French muser to gape, idle, muse, from Old French *mus mouth of an animal, from Medieval Latin musus

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin Musa, from Greek Mousa

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

muse

1 of 2 verb

ˈmyüz 

mused; musing

: ponder

muse

2 of 2 noun

1

capitalized : any of the nine sister goddesses of song and poetry and the arts and sciences in Greek mythology

2

: a source of inspiration

Etymology

Verb

Middle English musen "to ponder," from early French muser "to gape, muse," Latin musus "mouth of an animal"

Noun

Middle English Muse "one of the nine goddesses of the arts," from early French Muse (same meaning), from Latin Musa (same meaning), from Greek Mousa "Muse"