introspective

adjective

in·​tro·​spec·​tive ˌin-trə-ˈspek-tiv 

: characterized by examination of one's own thoughts and feelings : thoughtfully reflective : employing, marked by, or tending to introspection

As a student, he was very quiet and introspective.

… encouraging a balance between the fast, upbeat songs and a band's more introspective side.

—David T. Lindsay

There's an interesting literature that suggests that when people are sad, they tend to pay attention to themselves. They become withdrawn and introspective and very aware of their body and their mind and not very aware of the external world.

—Peter Salovey

introspectively adverb

This whole episode set me thinking introspectively, and led me gradually but imperatively to self-analysis—not of powers, but of motives.

—Bram Stoker

introspectiveness noun

Introversion is too often considered a sign of weakness when it should instead be an indication of strength, and associated with thoughtfulness, introspectiveness and independence.

—Jasmine Tatah

Examples of introspective in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On this day, approached out of the blue to do his first interview in years, the shortstop known as Simba was introspective. —Sam Blum, New York Times, 1 June 2026

The moon in Scorpio is igniting your 12th house of rest, intuition and subconscious patterns, making today feel more introspective than usual. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026

At Regen Projects, however, her work takes a quiet, introspective form. —Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026

This question is introspective and gives the recipient a chance to be vulnerable, a building block of the best friendships. —Anna Goldfarb, CNBC, 20 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for introspective

• imperfective
• ineffective
• intellective
• irrespective
• nondirective
• nonselective
• retrospective
• unreflective
• advective
• affective
• collective
• connective