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
Synonyms
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
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
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
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Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv
1
: dreamily thoughtful
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on pensive
Nglish: Translation of pensive for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of pensive for Arabic Speakers
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