as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
he was clearly in a musing mood, and did not feel like talking just then
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in meditation
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of musing
Wanjeri Gakuru
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
In his musings, Sugihara connects racial discrimination against Native and African Americans with the treatment of Koreans.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 11 July 2025
Skip the abstract visions and personal musings; turn ideas into concrete, practical steps people can act on.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
The band performs a combination of original and arranged music based on Black Lives Matter and musings on various styles that continue to influence their music, from New Orleans second-line, go-go, funk, reggae, Latin jazz, house and R&B. $12.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Adjective
Part of a best-selling series featuring the unguarded musings of everyday folks, presented here are thirteen new, scintillating tales.
—Wanjeri Gakuru
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
In his musings, Sugihara connects racial discrimination against Native and African Americans with the treatment of Koreans.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 11 July 2025
Skip the abstract visions and personal musings; turn ideas into concrete, practical steps people can act on.
—Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
The band performs a combination of original and arranged music based on Black Lives Matter and musings on various styles that continue to influence their music, from New Orleans second-line, go-go, funk, reggae, Latin jazz, house and R&B. $12.
—Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musing
Adjective
-
But the overriding feeling of the work is melancholy.—
Hugh Morris,
New York Times,
25 July 2025
-
Anna, an American student at Harvard, falls deeply and unaccountably in love with Christoph, who is on exchange from Germany, in this melancholy début novel.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
His exuberant new novel, The Gossip Columnist’s Daughter, packs the punch of his short stories, dramatizing a real-life unsolved murder, both a homage to Hollywood noir and a meditation on how and why our deepest connections can betray us.—
Book Marks
August 14,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Spanning 10 years of work, this international co-production explores utopia, decolonization and love with a unique visual language—bridging past and present in a powerful meditation on liberation and legacy.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
While producers pondering where to set their next movie will surely be tempted, this does come at a time when those in Hollywood especially are desperate to bring production back to home shores.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Since then, hosts have included Jo Koy, who bombed, and Jerrod Carmichael, who gave an esoteric monologue pondering the value of his presence there.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These aren’t edge cases but increasingly common scenarios requiring thoughtful, human-centric design.—
Anuradha Gupta,
Forbes.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
An artistic 14-year-old boy known for his thoughtful nature drowned just weeks before starting high school, Michigan officials say.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The moments of joy and lightness are interspersed with shots of Williams in deep contemplation.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The youth event in Rome – part of the Catholic Church’s jubilee celebrations – saw Leo both embrace the young people’s enthusiasm but ensure moments of quiet contemplation.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
For instance, a depressed person may feel better in terms of their energy and sleep, but still have negative, ruminating thoughts.—
Charles Trepany,
USA TODAY,
16 Dec. 2024
-
People filled comment sections for videos and posts about the shooting with unsympathetic replies, pointing out UnitedHealthcare’s reputation for denying claims, and ruminating on how much suffering Thompson was responsible for at the helm of the company.—
Ali Breland,
The Atlantic,
11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Kirilenko described her holding cell inside 26 Federal Plaza as a cold, cement room where women slept on benches or the floor, with just reflective blankets to keep them warm.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
9 Aug. 2025
-
But behind the scenes, producers say the making of Chaotic was reflective of its title, mostly because the network, UPN, had purchased all of Spears’s footage unseen and then looked to producers to craft a multi-episode series.—
Krystie Lee Yandoli,
Glamour,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
He’s lost in a reverie of intensity, absorbing life’s shocks and cruelties or its absurd beauties, processing it all by opening some spirit portal via his face.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Perched like a jewel on the shoulder of the mountain, above the shimmering curve of Lake Geneva, the Hotel Victoria Glion rises from the mists of time–a living reverie of Belle Époque grandeur.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Musing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musing. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share