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
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
Here and nowhere else, Holland treats Kafka’s oeuvre not as abstract fodder for pithy musing, but as texts which were published at a real point in history, that came from the mind of a person and not a divine conduit.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Noun
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
Here and nowhere else, Holland treats Kafka’s oeuvre not as abstract fodder for pithy musing, but as texts which were published at a real point in history, that came from the mind of a person and not a divine conduit.
—Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musing
Adjective
-
He can be wounded and sensitive (as in In the Mood for Love), mysterious and melancholy (as in Wong’s 2046), or slick and savage (as in Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution).—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
-
Certain Regard strand in 2016, or his melancholy, elegantly structured exploration of grief, Love Life, a Venice competitor from 2022.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Rollins dropped out of sight again for another six years, to practice meditation and Eastern spiritual disciplines.—
Chris Morris,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
The garden also has a small labyrinth meditation spot.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
EBay’s board is now pondering GameStop’s offer.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
9 May 2026
-
The sequence left us pondering our pet cats and, for good measure, our worst selves.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some of these requirements include free and fair elections, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, equal rights, separation of powers, accountability of leaders, political pluralism, a free press, majority rule tempered by minority rights and thoughtful citizen participation.—
Steven D. Reske,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
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The always eminently watchable Rebecca Hall (The Man I Love, TV’s The Beauty) both anchors and buoys the tonally irregular but consistently thoughtful and compelling sci-fi comedy-drama The End of It, a feature debut for Catalan writer-director Maria Martinez Bayona.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Selzer’s contemplations bring together literature, history, philosophy, medicine, and ruminations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
-
Gold can be one option worth serious contemplation right now.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
5 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Ricky Gervais will be in attendance to give a masterclass as creator and director of Netflix’s Alley Cats, the adult animation following a group of feral cats who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life, accompanied by a sneak peek of the first two episodes.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The fabric carries a soft, almost reflective sheen, lending the silhouette a sense of movement even at rest.—
Tiana Randall,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
And then an older, more mature, more reflective Kyle Busch spoke to FS1 after the race.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
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Straight out of an interstellar sci-fi reverie, the six-suite Echo camp fuses fictional space commander-style architecture with astro-chic interiors for up to 12 guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
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Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Musing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musing. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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