as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
he was clearly in a musing mood, and did not feel like talking just then
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Recent Examples of musing
Beronda L. Montgomery, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Come for the stories of their first Stoppard experiences, stay for the heartwarming musing about Stoppard’s impact on their lives!
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Reddit user u/TotalThing7 shared a nostalgic musing in the subreddit r/CasualConversation after watching a 1990s TV show.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
That’s one philosophical musing.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Noun
Her musing invited me, too, to return to my original deep fascination with this ability of plants that had become routine scientific knowledge to me.
—Beronda L. Montgomery, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Come for the stories of their first Stoppard experiences, stay for the heartwarming musing about Stoppard’s impact on their lives!
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Reddit user u/TotalThing7 shared a nostalgic musing in the subreddit r/CasualConversation after watching a 1990s TV show.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
That’s one philosophical musing.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musing
Adjective
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But the melancholy pop soundtrack (Gracie Abrams, Lana del Rey, Noah Cyrus) and many, many longing gazes suggest we’re meant to find all of this terribly moving, rather than exhausting.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
Isn’t this a melancholy view of things?—
Jeffrey Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Through this deceptively simple framework, Hiraide delivers a poetic and poignant meditation on the passage of time, the meaning of work and love, and the surprise of finding joy in life’s ephemeral details.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
-
In Kurkov’s hands, his efforts offer both serious meditations and page-turning diversion.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, as the Wall Street Journal reports, executives at OpenAI are pondering whether to kick off a price war with the company’s biggest competitor, Anthropic.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
11 June 2026
-
It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless of one’s position, a decision about downtown’s historic core deserves thoughtful public discussion.—
Sarah M. Boye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
General Daily Insight for June 14, 2026 Fresh pages wait for thoughtful words tonight.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Their eyes evoke deep contemplation of the transience of life.—
Anthony Kuhn,
NPR,
11 June 2026
-
Space and contemplation, themes in his daily life, are also the foundation of Love Is the New Gangsta.—
Meagan Jordan,
VIBE.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Marin directed some of his ire at Esalen, the epicenter of the Human Potential Movement and the playground, its critics scoffed, of those privileged enough to spend their days ruminating over the self.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Below it, the floor-length skirt consisted of a dense curtain of long reflective strands.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
13 June 2026
-
Former Blue Jays catching prospect Phil Clarke announced his retirement from professional baseball on Wednesday, sharing a reflective message about the circumstances that led to his decision after spending years working his way through Toronto's minor league system.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
The relaxation area, lined with loungers facing the sea, is perfect for post-treatment reverie with herbal tea and a view.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Stylistically, these books are often surreal and oneiric, with the gauzy texture of childhood reverie.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Musing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musing. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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