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brooding 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of broodingnext
1
as in moping

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Dissimilar Words
2
as in pregnant

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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
  • Isabel, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, got pregnant at age 19 and had been forced to place her daughter for adoption, according to a press release obtained by PEOPLE.
    — Becca Longmire, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Cole emphasized that people feel uncomfortable around pregnant women due to the underrepresentation of women in places of power at work.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of pregnant
Verb
  • So yes, there could be another universe where David Brooks and Priya are sitting, but Priya’s not wearing a blue blouse.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In the museum’s Skywalker Grill restaurant, Leonardo DiCaprio held court at a center table with Al Pacino, with Francis Ford Coppola and Jeffrey Katzenberg sitting nearby.
    — Kirsten Chuba, HollywoodReporter, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of sitting
Adjective
  • 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
  • As the fascination with Ernetti grows into something unhealthy, Béatrice subtly grows more tired, more distracted, more irritable and desperate for answers, small changes Sellier conveys with a smart sense of restraint.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 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
  • 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
  • The Call Her Daddy host, who is pregnant with her first child, has been clearing out other expectant moms' baby registries on social media.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of expectant

Browse Nearby Words

brooded (about or over)
brooding
brooding (about or over)
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Cite this Entry

“Brooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brooding. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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