pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv 
1
: musingly or dreamily thoughtful
a pensive young poet
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
her face had the pensive mournfulness of a seraph in an old sad painting—
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
Examples of pensive in a Sentence
… the combination of national crisis and imminent electoral victory creates an atmosphere at once pensive and elated.
—Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Recent Examples on the Web
This track probably won’t be the most floor-filling moment at one of Bicep’s coveted Chroma shows, but instead is prime material for the more pensive moments at the party.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
Driven by a longing to find her mother (Emily Watson), who fled the family years earlier, the pensive, ever-watchful girl runs away.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
Her drawing of the Earth humanized the globe with a pair of pensive eyes.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
The track also arrives alongside a pensive, tear-jerking music video.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
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Katie Bain, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2025
Driven by a longing to find her mother (Emily Watson), who fled the family years earlier, the pensive, ever-watchful girl runs away.
—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 24 Apr. 2025
Her drawing of the Earth humanized the globe with a pair of pensive eyes.
—Mike Snider, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
The track also arrives alongside a pensive, tear-jerking music video.
—Kyle Denis, Billboard, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv
1
: dreamily thoughtful
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
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