Synonym Chooser

How is the word cogitate different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of cogitate are deliberate, reason, reflect, speculate, and think. While all these words mean "to use one's powers of conception, judgment, or inference," cogitate implies deep or intent thinking.

cogitated on the mysteries of nature

When is it sensible to use deliberate instead of cogitate?

The words deliberate and cogitate can be used in similar contexts, but deliberate suggests slow or careful reasoning before forming an opinion or reaching a conclusion or decision.

the jury deliberated for five hours

When might reason be a better fit than cogitate?

Although the words reason and cogitate have much in common, reason stresses consecutive logical thinking.

able to reason brilliantly in debate

When is reflect a more appropriate choice than cogitate?

In some situations, the words reflect and cogitate are roughly equivalent. However, reflect suggests unhurried consideration of something recalled to the mind.

reflecting on fifty years of married life

When can speculate be used instead of cogitate?

While in some cases nearly identical to cogitate, speculate implies reasoning about things theoretical or problematic.

speculated on the fate of the lost explorers

In what contexts can think take the place of cogitate?

The words think and cogitate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, think is general and may apply to any mental activity, but used alone often suggests attainment of clear ideas or conclusions.

teaches students how to think

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 cogitate Yet the evidence for cogitating pond scum grows daily. Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024 With the eruptions and disruptions of digital mass culture as its Ferrari-level engine, often represented by the roaring drama of sport, Pfeiffer’s art cogitates on power as an ongoing campaign waged between the individual and the crowd. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 15 Nov. 2023 While Wall Street and Private Equity leaders have the time to leisurely cogitate the long view, business leaders (CEO’s, CMO’s, etc) have to make commitments today with real dollars based on their best guesses about the state of the consumer next fall and spring. Greg Petro, Forbes, 22 Apr. 2022 Dyson presents mathematical arguments that these beings can, through shrewd conservation of energy, maintain the resources needed to survive, cogitate and communicate in an eternally expanding cosmos. John Horgan, Scientific American, 16 June 2021 As his characters cogitate and self-medicate, scheme and philosophize, his subject is less the content of their thoughts than the mind contemplating itself. Washington Post, 11 June 2021 Jermaine uncovers America's obsession with capitalism and its cogitating impact on his everyday decision making, as well as those around him. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 20 Apr. 2018 Penrose believes that Hawking's condition has forced him to work more creatively, to take imaginative leaps where someone with a less uncertain future might want to cogitate a little longer. Jerry Adler, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2018 But Long, one of the revelers, (Ensemble regular James Rankin, always terrific) has been cogitating, too -- about their lot in life. Andrea Simakis, cleveland.com, 9 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cogitate
Verb
  • But nobody within the club is contemplating that possibility.
    Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 17 May 2025
  • Tessa's contemplating a major move for her career while her estranged addict father forces his way back into her life.
    Megan Vick, EW.com, 17 May 2025
Verb
  • That could also come into play as Dungey and her team ponder more comedies on TBS and another tentpole drama for TNT.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 14 May 2025
  • While Malibu leaders ponder the future, the state of most of the septic systems along PCH remains a mystery.
    James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
    Rachel Hale, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • Flanked by its banking advisors at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Robey Warshaw, ITV has reportedly been entertaining potential suitors since at least last November.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Dolton police did not respond to requests for information about the block but Trustee Belcher said the area was considered the rougher part of the village.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • The Brexit trade deal negotiated by Boris Johnson, who was the British prime minister at the time, is considered to have largely favored the European Union.
    Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Verb
  • The House Ways and Means Committee debated House Republicans' broad tax plan.
    Riley Beggin, USA Today, 13 May 2025
  • Social Media Reacts Posters on the Reddit forum r/TSA debated whether people should have been prepared for the change.
    Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025
Verb
  • The club is studying this and do not believe Pintus is the sole contributing factor.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 19 May 2025
  • Catharine Biddle, who studies rural education at the University of Maine, says families in the state frequently encounter long waitlists for private mental health services for their children.
    Jonaki Mehta, NPR, 19 May 2025
Verb
  • Some justices question why Trump admin did not seek direct ruling on birthright citizenship Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan asked why the Trump administration on Thursday sought to block nationwide injunctions rather than resolve whether a birthright citizenship order is constitutional.
    Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • The MedPAC report doesn’t dispute these outcomes but questions whether the MA program is delivering value commensurate with its cost.
    Seth Joseph, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cogitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cogitate. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on cogitate

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!