pensive

adjective

ˈpen(t)-siv How to pronounce pensive (audio)
Definition of pensivenext
as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking rainy days often put her in a pensive mood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pensive This summer’s take on beachy perfumes encapsulates the calming, pensive, and healing nature of the seashore. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026 Another shot included here shows a more pensive Marilyn on set, waiting to spring to life. — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 1 June 2026 Ava takes herself for a pensive solo walk in comically wide pants. — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 29 May 2026 With stories focused on surviving rowdy family, moments of loneliness, struggles with faith, and navigating our deepest human relationships, Johnson’s abilities as a pensive storyteller are conducted masterfully. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pensive
  1. melancholy
  2. thoughtful
  3. reflective
  4. contemplative
  5. somber
Adjective
  • Do the Emmys feel melancholy at all because your whole company could look different very soon?
    — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
  • For Brown, the evening, though tinged with melancholy, amounted to a small triumph of transmission.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • February 19 – March 20 A thoughtful agreement could make a connection feel sweeter and easier to trust.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026
  • Henrietta was a thoughtful, interesting person, and contributor to some of the most important early works of evolutionary science.
    — Leah Hudson, Popular Science, 9 July 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • The resurgence of Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s long-running shock comedy and cultural satire is, at the very least, reflective of the actual show’s cultural footprint in the past year.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • These drops nourish skin with a combination of tsubaki oil, avocado seed oil, and squalane, while reflective mica delivers a subtle glow.
    — Deanna Pai, Vogue, 10 July 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • At the Signers’ Hall exhibit in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, the Dickinson statue is placed apart in a corner, sculpted in a contemplative pose.
    — Hillel Italie, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
  • At the Signers' Hall exhibit in Philadelphia's National Constitution Center, the Dickinson statue is placed apart in a corner, sculpted in a contemplative pose.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026
Definition of contemplative
Adjective
  • Instead, Alfonzo’s first appearance, the culmination of nine tireless years, was somber , stricken by the grief overshadowing what should’ve been a joyous moment in the Dodgers’ to the Padres.
    — Liana Handler Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
  • Flying straight from the merry Riverlands into the somber halls of Dragonstone is one hell of a comedown, but Daemon never struggles to access his dark side.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 29 June 2026
Definition of somber

Browse Nearby Words

pensions
pensive
penstock
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pensive. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on pensive

Nglish: Translation of pensive for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of bibelot

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All