ruminate

verb ru·mi·nate \ ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of ruminate

ruminated; ruminating

transitive verb

1 : to go over in the mind repeatedly and often casually or slowly

2 : to chew repeatedly for an extended period

intransitive verb

1 : to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud

2 : to engage in contemplation : reflect

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rumination

play \ˌrü-mə-ˈnā-shən\ noun

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ruminative

play \ˈrü-mə-ˌnā-tiv\ adjective

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ruminatively

adverb

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ruminator

play \ˈrü-mə-ˌnā-tər\ noun

See ruminate defined for English-language learners

See ruminate defined for kids

ruminate was our Word of the Day on 12/23/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of ruminate in a Sentence

The question got us ruminating on the real value of wealth.
He ruminated over the implications of their decision.

Recent Examples of ruminate from the Web

Now 65, Seaman has spent more than a decade in a cell at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility, Michigan's women's prison, ruminating on the crime that put her behind bars.

— NBC News, "The judge who sentenced Nancy Seaman for murder now wants to set her free," 26 Apr. 2018
Comey also ruminates on the psychology of liars in an apparent nod to the current occupant of the Oval Office.

— philip rucker, chicagotribune.com, "James Comey's memoir: Trump fixates on proving lewd dossier allegations false," 12 Apr. 2018
Inside the museum, a series of videos ruminates further on temporality and sequencing, language and different forms of perception.

— jason farago, martha schwendener and will heinrich, New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week," 5 Apr. 2018
Drummer and composer Susie Ibarra has been making exploratory music that rumbles and ruminates, radiating a rich atmosphere, drawing on traditions from the Philippines (where Ibarra’s family is from) and from beyond Southeast Asia.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Susie Ibarra's DreamTime Ensemble To Play Firehouse 12," 14 Apr. 2018
Comey also ruminates on the psychology of liars in an apparent nod to the current occupant of the Oval Office.

— philip rucker, chicagotribune.com, "James Comey's memoir: Trump fixates on proving lewd dossier allegations false," 12 Apr. 2018
Comey also ruminates on the psychology of liars in an apparent nod to the current occupant of the Oval Office.

— philip rucker, Anchorage Daily News, "Comey’s memoir: Trump fixates on proving lewd dossier allegations false," 13 Apr. 2018
Her pregnancy was vaguely hinted at earlier in Season 11 as well; the show gave enough clues (Scully wistfully ruminating about their future in Episode 3, for example) for some fans to pepper Gillian Anderson’s Twitter mentions with inquiries.

— yohana desta, HWD, "The X-Files Finale: Is This How Dana Scully’s Journey Really Ends?," 21 Mar. 2018
Psychological issues may include increased anxiety, depression, irritability, ruminating obsessive thoughts, and thoughts of suicide.

— terry demio, Cincinnati.com, "Here's why March Madness is dangerous for people with gambling problem," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ruminate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

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 (that's 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 1500s and actual chewing since the early 1600s. Our English word derives from and shares the meanings of the Latin ruminari, which in turn derives from "rumen," the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud).

Origin and Etymology of ruminate

Latin ruminatus, past participle of ruminari to chew the cud, muse upon, from rumin-, rumen rumen; perhaps akin to Sanskrit romantha act of chewing the cud

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1533

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

ruminate Synonyms

Synonyms

chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with);

Near Antonyms

disregard, ignore, overlook, slight;

dismiss, pooh-pooh (also pooh), reject;

analyze, explore, review;

conclude, reason;

second-guess, speculate (about);

brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over);

believe, conceive, opine;

absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in);

Phrases

beat one's brains out (about), chew on, cudgel one's brains (about), look at;

Synonym Discussion of ruminate

ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately. ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

- pondered the course of action

meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

- meditated on the meaning of life

muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

- mused upon childhood joys

ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption.

- ruminated on past disappointments

RUMINATE Defined for English Language Learners

ruminate

verb

Definition of ruminate for English Language Learners

: to think carefully and deeply about something
of an animal : to bring up and chew again what has already been chewed and swallowed

RUMINATE Defined for Kids

ruminate

verb ru·mi·nate \ ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt \

Definition of ruminate for Students

ruminated; ruminating

: to think carefully and deeply : meditate

Medical Dictionary

ruminate

intransitive verb ru·mi·nate \ ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt \

medical Definition of ruminate

ruminated; ruminating

1 : to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud

2 : to engage in contemplation

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ruminate

Definition of ruminate

rumination

ruminative

ruminatively

ruminator

ruminate was our Word of the Day on 12/23/2016. Hear the podcast!

Examples of ruminate in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ruminate from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of ruminate

ruminate Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

Synonym Discussion of ruminate

RUMINATE Defined for English Language Learners

ruminate

Definition of ruminate for English Language Learners

RUMINATE Defined for Kids

ruminate

Definition of ruminate for Students

Medical Dictionary

ruminate

medical Definition of ruminate

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