muse 1 of 2

noun

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

as in to ruminate

Related Words

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
Their push takes on a new urgency when Cleo (Fisher) moves to town and becomes hell-bent on reaching 1960s Paris to become Jean-Luc Godard’s muse. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2026 The company was founded in 1978 and, while Santo dealt with the business, Donatella started working beside Gianni and was also considered his muse. — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
In the case of this post from Thursday, one user invoked Greek philosopher Heraclitus and a 12th-century Arab poet to muse on the nature of existence. — Jared Perlo, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026 Dale gets a moment near the end of the episode to muse darkly about the dangers of this line of work, but the most impactful reaction comes from Boss during the drive to the hospital. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for muse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for muse
  1. poet
  2. ruminate
  3. minstrel
  4. ponder
  5. meditate
  6. contemplate
  7. reflect
  8. project
Noun
  • FloridaGeorgiaIllinoisTennesseeTexas 7 of 11 The Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to a poet and essayist known for her translations.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Anne Carson, the Canadian poet, essayist, professor of classics and translator, has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in literature.
    — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of poet
Verb
  • So, Otto sits at the end of the counter, ruminating on the past weeks, then downs his glass of Gordon’s.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The most tonally bizarre Apes movie ruminates on that question with a mixture of money-saving light comedy and mic-drop grimness.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of ruminate
Noun
  • Last month, retailer Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment that critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures.
    — Dave Collins, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • In August, discount retailer Target stopped selling a children's Halloween costume that some critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures, The Associated Press reported.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of minstrel
Verb
  • The school understands that Sanders will still bring eyeballs to their program, but the question of whether this experiment should continue into 2027 is one that deserves to be pondered.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • As fans and critics embraced her ability to snake in and out of R&B with her pop sensibilities, many pondered whether the label knew what to do with such a talent.
    — Carl Lamarre, Billboard, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ponder
Verb
  • The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are a particularly fertile period for meditating on this condition, then still experienced as striking, not yet normalized.
    — Artforum, Artforum, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The park, open from sunrise to sunset, offers a sweet reprieve from the sun and is a great spot to take a deep breath and meditate in the woods.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of meditate
Verb
  • Todd has already contemplated what a sibling Grammy showdown might look like.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Approximately 18% of all Latino high school students have seriously contemplated suicide and 42% of Latino youths reported constantly feeling sad or hopeless, recent congressional studies found.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemplate
Verb
  • The draft no-confidence resolution by a group of Cornell faculty members is a rare move reflecting the depth of concern on campus.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Just down the corridor, Jane Hertzmark Hudis, executive vice president and chief brand officer, is reflecting on how the founder’s original principals translate to today as the company celebrates 80 years in business.
    — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of reflect
Verb
  • Virtual try-ons are powered by AI software that lets shoppers see how clothing, glasses or jewelry will look on them before buying, and the market is projected to more than quintuple by the end of the decade.
    — Lauren Schuster, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The painting let 18th-century Britons project their ideas about people from distant lands, how they should be depicted and what could be learned from them.
    — Saar Shahar, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of project

Browse Nearby Words

muscularly
muse
mused
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Cite this Entry

“Muse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/muse. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on muse

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about muse

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