muse 1 of 2

Definition of musenext
as in poet
a person who writes poetry where is the muse who will sing of this man's great and noble deeds?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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muse

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

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

Some common synonyms of muse are meditate, ponder, and ruminate. While all these words mean "to consider or examine attentively or deliberately," muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

When is it sensible to use meditate instead of muse?

While in some cases nearly identical to muse, meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

When might ponder be a better fit than muse?

The meanings of ponder and muse largely overlap; however, ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

Where would ruminate be a reasonable alternative to muse?

While the synonyms ruminate and muse are close in meaning, 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

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 muse
Noun
Those events could serve as a promising muse for Aethermead, Of Montreal’s 20th album. Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026 After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions. Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 8 June 2026
Verb
When EviDenS de Beauté launched 20 years ago, founder Charles-Edouard Barthes started the brand as a love letter to his wife and muse Eriko Nakamura. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025 Taken one at a time, the deployments can seem random or fickle — Trump will often muse about sending troops into a city, only to back track his comments and focus on a different city days later. Kat Lonsdorf, NPR, 3 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muse
Noun
  • James Lasdun’s new book, The Family Man, reckons with the Alex Murdaugh murder case, which the poet, novelist, screenwriter, and short-story writer covered for The New Yorker.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 17 June 2026
  • James Baldwin, a poet, activist and essayist, is one of the most influential figures in American history.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • San Antonio will ruminate for a long time on the mistakes that cost it a 29-point lead, including a pass out of bounds when Stephon Castle wasn’t looking for the ball and Fox’s decision to shoot the layup rather than wait for the Knicks to foul him.
    Joe Vardon, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • Shaboozey, who cites Pink Floyd’s surreal The Wall as one of his favorite albums and movies, had been ruminating on the idea for more than a decade.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • Blues developed after the Civil War (1861–65) and was influenced by 19th-century work songs and field hollers, minstrel show music, ragtime, and church music such as spirituals and hymns, as well as the folk and popular music of white Southerners.
    René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 May 2026
  • Gangsta rap’s effectiveness as a prosecutorial tool, like the minstrel shows before it, depends on audiences mistaking caricature for authenticity, and hinges on hearing artistic expression as documentary evidence of criminal actions.
    A.D. Carson, The Conversation, 6 May 2026
Verb
  • Even the most technology-savvy leaders are still pondering and probing where the ceiling is in terms of containing agent sprawl and complexity.
    Joe McKendrick, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
  • Any larger Hollywood studio would have likely insisted on a grander finale, but The Death of Robin Hood, produced by A24, left me pondering the foolishness of my need for such a denouement.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 17 June 2026
Verb
  • Her memoir, meditating on professional burnout, reinvention, and definitions of midlife success, was named a Best New Book by People Magazine and The Boston Globe.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 18 June 2026
  • Women meditated on Christ’s Passion, following its stages in prayers that drew power from their own physical suffering.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • For this reason, most people do not even contemplate the possibility of these companies ever getting displaced.
    Rob Toews, Forbes.com, 22 June 2026
  • On this late May evening, the 15 men gathered there were contemplating tackling something few had previously had the courage or skill to take on.
    Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • The result was reflected by the two head coaches’ vastly differing postgame attitudes.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 16 June 2026
  • The crowd reflected the global reach of Algeria’s diaspora.
    J.M. Banks June 15, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • The restaurant's staff is expecting a packed house, with close to 300 people projected to join the community celebration.
    La'Tasha Givens, CBS News, 20 June 2026
  • The United States is currently projected to face Ivory Coast in the World Cup Round of 32 on July 1 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, though its opponent will not be official until FIFA finalizes the table of the eight best third-place teams.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Muse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muse. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

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