as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
I wandered around campus all day in a ruminant mood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminant
Adjective
-
Not with breaking transfer news but with an umpteenth text asking what was up and, with more melancholy, why more wasn’t up and why everyone was being so frugal.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026 -
The experience promises to be bracingly new, chaotic, and exciting, but there was inevitably a melancholy tinge to this year’s edition, which became, in effect—and affect—an eleven-day farewell.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec created this gorgeous look by layering a reflective, shimmery pink over a true red polish.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
31 Jan. 2026
-
These reflective masses of relatively young material were deposited many millions of years ago during cataclysmic asteroid strikes that excavated vast basins on the lunar surface.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Open since 2023, the hotel is a thoughtful restoration of the once-chic but long dormant Union Club, the former gathering place for industrialists and politicians.—
John Bowe,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Nights call for dinner at Beefbar, where prime cuts and thoughtful vegetarian dishes anchor the menu.—
Molly Barstein,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps the most important question about AI in cars is not technical, but philosophical.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
That intimacy provides an emotional counterpoint to Rushdie’s more philosophical musings about art and religion, free speech and resistance, violent intent and forgiveness.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Duncan Simmons is a very taciturn, contemplative 16-year-old who's been through a lot.—
Ross Guidotti,
CBS News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Weisz gives two of her best performances — aggressive and sinister here, meek and contemplative there — to craft a diabolical portrait of primal codependency.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ruminant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminant. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
