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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Dissimilar Words

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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 While fangs and stakes aren’t my forte, a gathering of friends and strangers acting goofy and reminiscing over childhood and teen memories sounded cool. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026 Before the Gov Ball sound engineers cut his mic out of respect for the park’s strict curfew and noise ordinance, Pretty Flacko had to take time out to reminisce about his own breakout. — Rob Kenner, VIBE.com, 8 June 2026 Mid-Century Stereo Equipment Records have made a major comeback, and flipping through a stack of vinyl to reminisce is relaxing. — Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 5 June 2026 Back in March, Brady reminisced on Vivian's childhood with a sweet throwback post, sharing an old photo featuring his only daughter. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for reminisce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminisce

Verb

Dodd remembers the lines he was asked to deliver were directed at the villainous mutant Sabretooth.

— Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
This episode, Zack wakes up and bolts upright with the bandage still on his head from getting clobbered with a sign on his birthday and can’t remember what happened the night before.

— Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 July 2026

Definition of remember

Verb

This anxiety often leads to rumination, where individuals endlessly ponder potential outcomes without actual preparation, mistakenly equating thinking with problem-solving.

— Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Bravo is sipping its cuppa and pondering what to do about those interesting ladies across the pond.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 1 July 2026

Definition of ponder

Verb

Plans for fireworks were still moving forward in other cities including Chicago and New York, where tall ships passed the Statue of Liberty earlier in the day, recalling the fanfare around America’s 200th anniversary in 1976.

— Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Pulisic recalled arriving at Pochettino’s temporary office for a meeting and hearing a country song.

— Henry Bushnell, New York Times, 5 July 2026

Definition of recall

Verb

Carmy is still figuring out his next move, interviewing for an internship at an architecture firm while ruminating on his experience at the Bear.

— Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
The characters have little time to make life-or-death decisions, let alone ruminate, and the action vacillates between triage and doctors expertly improvising solutions — like Mel (Taylor Dearden) donating her own blood, and Javadi (Shabana Azeez) going MacGyver mode with a tracheal tube.

— EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026

Definition of ruminate

Verb

Through its characters, the book stages an argument about the virtues of various types of maps—those that are measured, those that are recollected, those that are dreamed.

— Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Continually surrounded by well-wishers during an hour of socializing before a formal program of speakers and videos recollecting his career, Lubelfeld listened to what others had to say before speaking himself.

— Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026

Definition of recollect

Verb

Emergency experts working day and night contemplated various entry and exit routes from the nearest accessible access point, about 75 feet away from where Gil was trapped.

— Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
With a new album out this summer—her first in a decade—Madonna’s reemergence on the pop scene has left many of us contemplating her ultimate place in its firmament.

— Alex Frank, Vogue, 2 July 2026

Definition of contemplate

Verb

Sourcing & Methodology This article was generated by software that analyzes National Weather Service warnings and advisories and creates an article based on templates created by humans.

— Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
By analyzing tail hair samples, researchers found that herds living among wolves had cortisol levels 58% higher than those living in areas without wolves.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Definition of analyze

Verb

Baby Carrie has not been born yet at the start of the series, in part so the show could explore pioneer pregnancy and childbirth.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
By Jessica Kim, Bloomberg British Columbia is exploring legal action against OpenAI for its failure to alert authorities to threats made on ChatGPT before the February mass shooting in the town of Tumbler Ridge.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 8 July 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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