Synonyms of pondering

pondering 1 of 2

noun

as in contemplation

Related Words

• contemplation
• thought
• meditation
• consideration
• reflection
• rumination
• cogitation
• study
• debate
• deliberation
• introspection
• advisement
• indecision
• hesitation
• account
• agonizing
• premeditation

Dissimilar Words

• disregard
• neglect
• short shrift

pondering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of ponder

as in contemplating

to give serious and careful thought to

I'm pondering whether or not I should join another committee

Synonyms & Similar Words

• contemplating
• debating
• considering
• studying
• questioning
• entertaining
• weighing
• eyeing
• exploring
• reviewing
• analyzing
• ruminating
• cogitating
• deliberating
• meditating
• thinking (about or over)
• looking at
• mulling (over)
• wrestling (with)
• revolving
• chewing on
• poring (over)
• turning
• digesting
• chewing over
• perpending
• reminiscing
• kicking around
• reasoning
• reflecting (on or upon)
• beating one's brains out (about)
• cudgeling one's brains (about)
• concluding
• believing
• musing (upon)
• opining
• speculating (about)
• absorbing
• dwelling (on or upon)
• second-guessing
• brooding (about or over)
• fretting (about or over)
• obsessing (about or over)
• fixating (on or upon)
• conceiving
• assimilating
• drinking (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignoring
• disregarding
• overlooking
• rejecting
• dismissing
• slighting
• pooh-poohing

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pondering

Noun

All 50 years of craft, thought, thematic pondering — everything. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026

Verb

Newsom, who is pondering a 2028 presidential campaign, and the two men vying to replace him — Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton — oppose it. — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

In the stands, fans murmured beneath their breath, wondering what new math the Kiffin’s successor could be pondering. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026

For those pondering upgrades, Apple has laid a strong foundation with its hardware for some ambitious features down the road. — Victoria Song, The Verge, 17 Sep. 2026

The bottom line There is no universal answer for savers pondering whether a CD or high-yield savings account is the right choice for them now, after the first interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in more than three years. — Matt Richardson, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

There’s plenty Duren could be pondering in regard to his value to the team as a whole. — Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

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

Instead, the fast-casual restaurant chain's CEO and co-founder woke up pondering the country's ongoing cyclospora outbreak. — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026