Synonyms of reminisce

reminisce

verb

1

as in to remember

Synonyms & Similar Words

• remember
• recall
• recollect
• occur (to)
• come (to)
• learn
• cross
• dawn (on)
• memorize
• appear
• arrive
• emerge
• strike
• con
• materialize

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forget
• ignore
• unlearn
• disregard
• neglect
• overlook

2

as in to ponder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ponder
• ruminate
• contemplate
• reflect (on or upon)
• analyze
• explore
• entertain
• think (about or over)
• meditate
• weigh
• muse (upon)
• study
• consider
• debate
• mull (over)
• review
• revolve
• cogitate
• eye
• deliberate
• wrestle (with)
• pore (over)
• chew over
• question
• conclude
• turn
• reason
• speculate (about)
• perpend
• dwell (on or upon)
• believe
• kick around
• fixate (on or upon)
• opine
• obsess (about or over)
• fret (about or over)
• brood (about or over)
• conceive
• digest
• second-guess
• drink (in)
• assimilate
• absorb

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ignore
• slight
• disregard
• overlook
• dismiss
• reject
• pooh-pooh
• pooh

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reminisce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of reminisce are recall, recollect, remember, and remind. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

In what contexts can recall take the place of reminisce?

The words recall and reminisce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

Where would recollect be a reasonable alternative to reminisce?

The synonyms recollect and reminisce are sometimes interchangeable, but recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When can remember be used instead of reminisce?

While in some cases nearly identical to reminisce, remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When is remind a more appropriate choice than reminisce?

In some situations, the words remind and reminisce are roughly equivalent. However, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of reminisce

Swamp Dogg reminisces about his singular career, which eventually gives way to some obligatory archival footage, but the film is just as interested in celebrating the zest for life that the octogenarian currently enjoys. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 1 May 2025

After my article was published, many readers reminisced in the comments section about the nightlife of New York City’s past. —Luke Fortney, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

Campbell, fighting back tears during the post-meet news conference, reminisced about her final floor routine — bringing back her sophomore-year choreography — as a Bruin. —Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025

Springsteen reminisced about his 30-plus year friendship with Ely, recalling a wild night in Dublin with Ely and Jerry Lee Lewis. —Michele Amabile Angermiller, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2025

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