musing 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of musingnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

musing

2 of 3

noun

as in meditation

Related Words

musing

3 of 3

verb

present participle of muse
as in pondering

Related 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 musing
Noun
Click here to get the full edition in your inbox, including bonus musings on trends and recommendations for the weekend. — Will Leitch, Washington Post, 9 July 2026 In a former life, this appliance may have doubled as tools used in his prior trade; however, the rapper—whose reputation for serving up hearty helpings of clever musings on the drug trade precedes him—remains intent on feeding the streets. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 17 June 2026 Warsh’s musings on international finance so far would likely do little to inspire confidence among purists. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 16 June 2026 Some of the dialogue feels like Harrison’s own metaphysical musings rather than characters’ speech. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for musing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musing
  1. melancholy
  2. meditation
  3. pondering
  4. thoughtful
  5. contemplation
  6. ruminating
  7. reflective
  8. reverie
Adjective
  • And viewers’ mileage will certainly vary with this peculiar, fun little concoction on seclusion, connection and the need to belong that can’t hide its undercurrent of melancholy about the sorry state of a divided world.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Roderick In Poe’s famous short story The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick Usher is a melancholy recluse who believes his haunted mansion is the cause of his deteriorating health.
    — Anna Earl, Parents, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Noun
  • This touchiness can extend to meditation researchers, most of whom are meditators themselves; academic meetings Britton attended would sometimes kick off with a meditation.
    — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of meditation
Verb
  • Kronengold and Shaw are still pondering what will come of that if Adults gets to be renewed.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The summer before his junior year of high school, he was accepted into the SPARK program and was pondering his next direction.
    — Beth Reese Cravey, Florida Times-Union, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of pondering
Adjective
  • Could thoughtful architecture, practical living spaces, durable materials and useful amenities be delivered without pushing homes into the highest end of the market?
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • If leaders distinguish between thoughtful and careless risks, people can move boldly without lowering the bar.
    — Aleksandr Yampolskiy, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Noun
  • What interests me in Zumthor’s architecture is not simply beauty or contemplation.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Yet Na also insists on treating his aliens as objects of contemplation and pathos—reflections of our own misshapen humanity.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of contemplation
Verb
  • Carmy is still figuring out his next move, interviewing for an internship at an architecture firm while ruminating on his experience at the Bear.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
  • The adult animation follows the trials and tribulations of a group of feral British cats from all walks of society, who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life.
    — Rick Ellis, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of ruminating
Adjective
  • Be sure to plan your trip around mid-to-late October, when autumnal foliage is at its peak, and hit hiking trails that come alive with color, like the Croda da Lago Circuit and its reflective alpine lake, Lago di Federa.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Its reflective surface changes with the light, the weather, and the movement of the people who encounter it.
    — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflective
Noun
  • When the show ended, the audience burst into rattled applause, as if we’d been woken from our own dream, still unable to tell the reverie from the real thing.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Despite more immigrants being arrested in July than any other month in Homeland Security’s history, good Americans refuse to submit to Trump’s roundup reverie.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of reverie

Browse Nearby Words

musicians
musing
musing (over)
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Cite this Entry

“Musing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musing. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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