ruminate
verb
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When you ruminate, you chew something over, either literally or figuratively. Literal rumination may seem a little gross to humans, but to cows, chewing your cud (partially digested food brought up from the stomach for another chew) is just a natural part of life. Figurative ruminating is much more palatable to humans; that kind of deep, meditative thought is often deemed quite a worthy activity. The verb ruminate has described metaphorical chewing over since the early 1500s and actual chewing since later that same century. Our English word comes from and shares the meanings of the Latin verb ruminari (“to chew the cud” or “muse upon”), which in turn comes from rumen, the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud).
Examples of ruminate in a Sentence
Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
In severe depression and anxiety, there is often a cycle of ruminating negative thoughts.
—David Oliver, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Your nighttime anxiety is working overtime Waking up at 3 a.m. and ruminating over past events is often a sign of stress misfiring.
—Dr. Samanta Dall’agnese, CNBC, 13 May 2025
The film, which ruminates on love and loss, revolves around a musician who is hired by a two-time lottery winner to perform a private gig on an isolated island.
—Nicole Sperling, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruminate
Cite this Entry
“Ruminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruminate. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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ruminate
verb
Medical Definition
ruminate
intransitive verb
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