1
: moodily or sullenly thoughtful or serious
a brooding genius
a brooding, embittered man
2
: darkly somber
a brooding landscape
a quiet, brooding atmosphere
… brooding, violent images reminiscent of … film noir …—
Tracy Hopkins
Tracy Hopkins
broodingly
adverb
a broodingly handsome actor
Gardner gazes broodingly at the camera …
—Kathleen Murphy
Kathleen Murphy
Examples of brooding in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Where Conrad is a brooding, emotional first love, largely defined by the Fearless, Speak Now, and Folklore eras, Jeremiah is the all-American boy gone vengeful represented by Reputation.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 June 2025
The scenario’s bachelor No. 2 arrives in the brooding personage of Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-nephew of Austen herself.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
During his rise to fame in the Eighties, Val Kilmer garnered a reputation among his peers and the media as a brooding young actor who was often petulant on set.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
The picture is dedicated to Hutchins, and its brooding elegance, its rich shadows and evocative close-ups, demonstrates her achievement: Visually, Rust is often astonishing — which of course reminds us all over again of the dark specter hanging over the film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brooding
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 12 June 2025
The scenario’s bachelor No. 2 arrives in the brooding personage of Oliver (Charlie Anson), the great-great-great-great-nephew of Austen herself.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025
During his rise to fame in the Eighties, Val Kilmer garnered a reputation among his peers and the media as a brooding young actor who was often petulant on set.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025
The picture is dedicated to Hutchins, and its brooding elegance, its rich shadows and evocative close-ups, demonstrates her achievement: Visually, Rust is often astonishing — which of course reminds us all over again of the dark specter hanging over the film.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for brooding
Cite this Entry
“Brooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brooding. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share