musing

1 of 3

noun

mus·​ing ˈmyü-ziŋ 

: meditation

My musings and writings on this issue do not come from the groves of academe.

—Herbert S. White

musing

2 of 3

adjective

: thoughtfully abstracted : meditative

musingly

ˈmyü-ziŋ-lē 

adverb

musing

3 of 3

present participle of muse entry 1

Synonyms of musing

Adjective

• melancholy
• thoughtful
• reflective
• contemplative
• philosophical
• pensive

Examples of musing in a Sentence

Adjective

he was clearly in a musing mood, and did not feel like talking just then

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But even then, the film feels energized by its bold mixture of pulp pleasures and weighty musings, operating with a bruising efficiency that Ali’s skilled assassin would no doubt respect. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Two mysterious drifters never speak; their inner monologues carry us across absurdist one-liners, weird tales, and stream-of-consciousness musings. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026

In a deeply personal exhibition, the enigmatic French photographer Ilion Huit, who prefers to hide behind his Leica M6, unveiled to the world his most intimate interior musings in an exhibition at Icicle Cultural Space in Shanghai. — Denni Hu, Footwear News, 19 Sep. 2026

All these musings and more make for quite the read and watch. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

see muse entry 1

Adjective

see muse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for musing

• bruising
• choosing
• cruising
• fusing
• losing
• oozing
• using
• abusing
• accusing
• amusing
• confusing
• defusing