1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

brooding 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of broodingnext
1
as in moping

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words
2
as in pregnant

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

brooding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of brood
as in sitting
to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop don't disturb the hen while she's brooding

Synonyms & Similar 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 brooding
Adjective
What results is a darker Spider-Man – not the brooding or grim sense of a Batman movie, but displaying the gravity that comes with the burden of responsibility. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026 Its brooding, cyberpunk aesthetic is a strong visual choice for telling the story of a former Sith lord whose double-bladed lightsaber dazzled so many viewers in The Phantom Menace. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 26 July 2026
Verb
The arrogant, brooding youth is gone almost entirely, and someone far more circumspect and humbled kneels before his older brother. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 The songs on Petal are mostly moody midtempo electro-chill, brooding rather than banging. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for brooding
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brooding
  1. peevish
  2. pregnant
  3. sitting
  4. irritable
  5. gravid
  6. spawning
  7. irascible
  8. expectant
Adjective
  • Then, after Erica has a peevish moment with Scotty, the gang hears about the landing party’s prehistoric adventures over drinks.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 23 July 2026
  • The great speculators became talkative and communicative or dull, sullen, silent, and peevish.
    — Owen Lamont, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of peevish
Adjective
  • Yet one demographic may still have some reason to restrict their doom-scrolling and YouTube watching – pregnant mothers.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Sep. 2026
  • As fire ripped through the apartment building, the stepfather of five paused to talk the unidentified pregnant woman out of jumping from the second-story window to the dirt and concrete below.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Verb
  • Back in the present, the Halogram (last updated in 2006) susses out that John is lying about the grandeur of Hal’s funeral when the former protégé mentions sitting next to MOGO, the Lantern who famously doesn’t socialize.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
  • This led to his first moment of sitting during the anthem, which started the protest that would draw national attention.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of sitting
Adjective
  • Coach There’s no better feeling than walking into your last show of the day, irritable and hungry, only to discover that snacks are being served.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • If a relative or housemate seems irritable, ask what’s going on instead of working around the mood.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritable
Adjective
  • About a year after infection, a fully mature, gravid female worm migrates to the skin, usually in the lower extremities.
    — Mark Kortepeter, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Paloski said the massasauga encountered could be a gravid female about to give birth.
    — Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2022
Definition of gravid
Verb
  • The Dutch series, which premiered in 2010, was the first iteration of what would become a global singing-competition franchise, eventually spawning more than 150 adaptations around the world.
    — Alicia Urrea, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In 2024 and 2025, the Bureau of Reclamation poured colder water through the dam’s river bypass tubes — a deeper outlet than the hydropower intakes — to prevent smallmouth bass from spawning there.
    — Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of spawning
Adjective
  • Well, as much as one of the league’s biggest personalities and irascible players can blend in.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • My backyard tortoise, Philbert, has been most irascible and taken to his fainting couch (cardboard box).
    — STAT Staff, STAT, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of irascible
Adjective
  • The crowds outside a major fashion show often start to form a few hours in advance, with expectant fans hoping to spot their favorite celebrities.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 28 Sep. 2026
  • English also included a selfie of the expectant parents, who got engaged in December, with smiles on their faces.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of expectant

Browse Nearby Words

brooded (about or over)
brooding
brooding (about or over)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brooding. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of epistemic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All