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
  • And viewers’ mileage will certainly vary with this peculiar, fun little concoction on seclusion, connection and the need to belong that can’t hide its undercurrent of melancholy about the sorry state of a divided world.
    — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Roderick In Poe’s famous short story The Fall of the House of Usher, Roderick Usher is a melancholy recluse who believes his haunted mansion is the cause of his deteriorating health.
    — Anna Earl, Parents, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • Be sure to plan your trip around mid-to-late October, when autumnal foliage is at its peak, and hit hiking trails that come alive with color, like the Croda da Lago Circuit and its reflective alpine lake, Lago di Federa.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Its reflective surface changes with the light, the weather, and the movement of the people who encounter it.
    — Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • Could thoughtful architecture, practical living spaces, durable materials and useful amenities be delivered without pushing homes into the highest end of the market?
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026
  • If leaders distinguish between thoughtful and careless risks, people can move boldly without lowering the bar.
    — Aleksandr Yampolskiy, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • Although there’s a practical and personal basis to Wayne’s newfound commitment, there’s also a philosophical one that’s reflected in the movie’s title.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Its founders and many of its early employees were sympathetic to the utilitarian philosophical movement known as effective altruism.
    — Ben Smith, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of philosophical
Adjective
  • We are asked constantly to dilate and contract—to adjust from contemplative darkness to the California sun, from specific detail to overarching conceit, from stillness to activity.
    — Katy Barkan, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
  • In a voice at once biting and contemplative, eerie and funny, Kasischke crafts poems in which nothing is ever stable or resolved.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 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 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ruminant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ruminant

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