pensive

adjective

pen·​sive ˈpen(t)-siv How to pronounce pensive (audio)
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 paintingHerman 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
Recent Examples on the Web Carter and her band deftly recast the song as a pensive ballad that exudes a melancholic air. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 Guts is a collection of pop-punk ragers and aching, pensive burners that suggest that after all that multiplatinum heartbreak, Rodrigo is finally having a blast — a wild and free 20-year-old who holds nothing back. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2023 Between them stands a woman in a pensive pose, and on the left side of the trio is a smaller standing figure. Teju Cole, New York Times, 12 Sep. 2023 Guillén lends Marcela pensive grace, although the character is too much of a stock self-sacrificing angel to be interesting. Celia Wren, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2023 But the sophistication afforded to the pensive preacher is not equally reflected in all the portrayals of the Māori characters. Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 8 Sep. 2023 Last year’s Aftersun caused a minor sensation when elitist reviewers praised Scottish filmmaker Charlotte Wells for her somber, pensive account of the alienation between a teen girl (Frankie Corio) and her widowed father (Paul Mescal). Armond White, National Review, 30 Aug. 2023 The pensive ballad digs into grief and nostalgia and will leave a handprint on your heart. 20. Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 17 Aug. 2023 Instruments in the pit came across as vividly as characters onstage: the hovering lamp of Bart Feller’s flute, the pensive stride of Kelly Cornell’s horn. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pensive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English pensif, from Anglo-French, from penser to think, from Latin pensare to ponder, frequentative of pendere to weigh — more at pendant

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pensive was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pensive

Cite this Entry

“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

pensive

adjective
pen·​sive ˈpen(t)-siv How to pronounce pensive (audio)
1
: dreamily thoughtful
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
pensively adverb
pensiveness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pensive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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