ruminant

adjective

Definition of ruminantnext
as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking I wandered around campus all day in a ruminant mood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminant
  1. melancholy
  2. reflective
  3. thoughtful
  4. philosophical
  5. contemplative
Adjective
  • The two are fond but sick of each other, at times bickering with real melancholy and malice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Harry still has some of that sparkle, but it’s tempered by melancholy, the aftermath of little mistakes and big ones he’s made along the way.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • While reminiscing during the July reunion, a reflective Epstein described feeling liberated after the Cubs returned from Cleveland with the World Series trophy in hand.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The experiment described, which intentionally seeks to elicit a particular response, is not representative of how most voters use ChatGPT or reflective of their experience.
    — Katie McQue, NPR, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • Media companies — like ours — will be there to keep you company, of course, in our case with superb analysis and a thoughtful afternoon livestream.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Woobles Beginner Crochet Amigurumi Kits are fun for experienced stitchers and beginners alike, and make for thoughtful holiday gifts, too.
    — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • To stand in our power of sexy, and that was a huge, huge philosophical shift within the business.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In a spring 2026 paper, Ravfogel and his NYU colleagues Shashwat Singh and Tal Linzen raised an even broader philosophical concern with how language model researchers seek evidence of introspection.
    — Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • The contemplative family pilgrimage drama marks the fiction-feature debut of a longtime collaborator of Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
    — Emiliano de Pablos, Variety, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Hans Op de Beeck’s first dalliance with a luxury house feels a lot like his art — hushed, contemplative, and slightly under the radar.
    — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemplative
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.

Browse Nearby Words

rumbustiousness
ruminant
ruminate
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Cite this Entry

“Ruminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminant. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ruminant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ruminant

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