REMINISCE Synonyms: 69 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

reminisce

verb

Definition of reminisce

as in to remember

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Dissimilar Words

as in to ponder

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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

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 reminisce In a 2016 interview with i-D Magazine, the two women sat down together to reminisce about their friendship. — Hikmat Mohammed, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2026 The group took a moment to paused the conversation to reminisce about Parton. — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 31 Aug. 2026 Arizona newcomers would have plenty of people to reminisce about their home state with. — Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026 Looking back may be a sad endeavor, so just take the time to reminisce and then get on with what today has to offer. — Judith Levy, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reminisce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminisce

Verb

And just remember that question for ⁠a couple of days from now, okay?

— Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
Just remember that apps bypassing the VPN will expose your regular public IP address.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of remember

Verb

No one interested in pondering what looks like an intractably difficult conflict need turn their attention to Iran or Israel.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Newsom, in the podcast, appeared to already be considering them while pondering what to do next.

— Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of ponder

Verb

Now owned by the state of Bavaria, the ⁠Kehlsteinhaus was classified after the war as a historical monument recalling the Nazi period.

— Reuters, NBC news, 24 Oct. 2026
Everyone was chatting and enjoying the beautiful weather, Spiro, a 36-year-old rabbi at Hill Havurah congregation in Washington, recalled.

— Liam Scott, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of recall

Verb

So, Otto sits at the end of the counter, ruminating on the past weeks, then downs his glass of Gordon’s.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2026
The most tonally bizarre Apes movie ruminates on that question with a mixture of money-saving light comedy and mic-drop grimness.

— Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of ruminate

Verb

Father and son then recollect a life lived in secret as the filmmaker reflects on his own queerness.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
Homer’s poem never depicts the horse and the sacking of Troy in direct action; the city’s fall is recollected only in the form of stories that glorify Greece’s soldiers.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026

Definition of recollect

Verb

Local processing could help rovers analyze terrain, interpret sensor readings, and support decisions without sending every piece of data back to Earth.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Databricks helps organizations collect, process, and analyze large amounts of data and has been used by companies, such as Al-Futtaim Group, to help optimize its supply chain and develop a customer loyalty program.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of analyze

Verb

The Swedish polymath explores the sounds, language, and imagery of Americana on a drolly observational singer-songwriter album.

— Harry Thorfinn-George, Pitchfork, 22 Oct. 2026
The series explores the unsettling collision of ancient witchcraft beliefs and modern digital dating culture.

— Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of explore

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reminds

reminisce

reminisce (about)

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“Reminisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reminisce. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of reminisce

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