meditate

verb

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med·i·tate | \ ˈme-də-ˌtāt

meditated; meditating

Definition of meditate

intransitive verb

1 : to engage in contemplation or reflection He meditated long and hard before announcing his decision.

2 : to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

transitive verb

1 : to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over He was meditating his past achievements.

2 : to plan or project in the mind : intend, purpose He was meditating revenge.

Other Words from meditate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about meditate

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Choose the Right Synonym for meditate

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 meditate in a Sentence

He meditates for an hour every morning. I've been meditating a career change for months.

Recent Examples on the Web Joba’s loss has pushed him to meditate on passion and purpose, and while there are no holds barred when Joba confronts his pain, the album as a whole feels inspired, and even hopeful. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, "The Best Albums of April 2021: Dawn Richard, Taylor Swift, Remember Sports, Brockhampton, and More," 3 May 2021 At both Floyd and Daunte Wright’s memorials, many gathered to meditate and play singing bowls. — Ashley Tyner, Vogue, "What Does It Mean to Build—And Preserve—A BLM Memorial?," 29 Apr. 2021 Despite meditation’s benefits, the net effect of trying to conform to a daily practice was to add feelings of stress and guilt around trying to find the time or focus to meditate. — Forbes Councils, Forbes, "Why One Mindfulness Coach Is Helping Executives Achieve Success Through Joy, Not Meditation," 28 Apr. 2021 Meet the Ultrahuman Holistic Fitness App, the award-winning fitness platform which helps users workout with incredible efficiency, optimize their sleep, and meditate better and habitually. — Greta Good, Chron, "Take your wellness game to the next level with this on-sale fitness app," 24 Mar. 2021 Marketers need to show that many people use cannabis to celebrate, meditate, reduce creative blocks, manage stress levels and otherwise go about their normal lives. — Harrison Wise, Rolling Stone, "How to Educate Cannabis Consumers Through Marketing," 10 Mar. 2021 Tell them to take time to meditate, even if for only five minutes per day. — Graydon Mckee, Forbes, "If You Can Keep Your Head: How To Keep Your Team Afloat During Isolation," 9 Apr. 2021 Joba’s loss has pushed him to meditate on passion and purpose, and while there are no holds barred when Joba confronts his pain, the album as a whole feels inspired, and even hopeful. — Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, "Brockhampton Process Pain and Get Closer to Pop on ‘Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine’," 9 Apr. 2021 The comedian apologized to anyone who had planned to use that time to meditate and thanked them for listening. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, "Amy Schumer Wore the Fanciest Dress to Get Her COVID-19 Vaccine," 29 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'meditate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.