as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
a ruminative man, who contributed to discussions only after he had completely thought things through
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Recent Examples of ruminative
The track is focused but ruminative, mirroring the circular way thoughts orbit an obsession.
—
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
Documentarians Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who also gave us the ruminative Nick Cave portrait 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), use this as an elaborate framing device, the sort of oddball choice that doesn’t feel necessary yet also doesn’t detract from the goal at hand.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Contemplating passing seasons and dead flowers, Weir’s deep, lava lamp-like flow of a vocal is as sadly ruminative as Barlow’s lyrics.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026
Set in Los Angeles, this ruminative novel alternates in perspective between a blockbuster actor, his best friend and sometime lover, and an aspiring screenwriter.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Scarlet feels like his biggest movie yet, a ruminative war picture that stages medieval battles and pitches its characters through the mortal coil and back.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
Documentarians Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who also gave us the ruminative Nick Cave portrait 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), use this as an elaborate framing device, the sort of oddball choice that doesn’t feel necessary yet also doesn’t detract from the goal at hand.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026
Contemplating passing seasons and dead flowers, Weir’s deep, lava lamp-like flow of a vocal is as sadly ruminative as Barlow’s lyrics.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026
Set in Los Angeles, this ruminative novel alternates in perspective between a blockbuster actor, his best friend and sometime lover, and an aspiring screenwriter.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
Scarlet feels like his biggest movie yet, a ruminative war picture that stages medieval battles and pitches its characters through the mortal coil and back.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminative
Adjective
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Its most melancholy scene of all involves Willy Loman, a traveling salesman who has given his unnamed company the best years of his now weary life, walking into the head office only to be humiliated by the callow young man who now runs his company and could not give a damn about him.—
Chris Jones,
New York Daily News,
10 Apr. 2026
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A lot of the dances turned out to be slightly melancholy.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Wiener is a thoughtful lawmaker who championed groundbreaking housing-deregulation laws, but in this case that San Francisco progressive won out.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
12 Apr. 2026
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The best Mother’s Day gift ideas aren’t always the most obvious—they’re the ones that feel personal, thoughtful, and just a little indulgent.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Made of reflective material, this leash assures the safety of both you and your pet when the sun goes down.—
Christina Shepherd McGuire,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
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Kovács, who is more reflective in person than his bulldog persona online, told me that Hungary’s election system is secure.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Privacy may struggle within a buzzing neighborhood as the Sun in your contemplative 12th house pokes indulgent Jupiter in your 3rd House of Messages.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The Golden Pavilion at Kinkaku-ji and the views from Kiyomizudera are the city’s big stars, but the statuary hall at Sanjusangendo is a contemplative escape.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Big horizons meet daily realities as the instinctive Moon explores your pensive 9th house and squares Jupiter in your sensible 6th house.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Gonzalez describes him as serious, pensive, charming and easy to like.—
Vanessa Murdock,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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These live versions dynamite that meditative hollow or expand it to the size of a megachurch.—
Mitch Therieau,
Pitchfork,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Tune into yourself while tuning out the outside world courtesy of an E-bike ride under the Tuscan sun, a stroll through the olive groves, a dip in the infinity pool, a meditative massage, or a private cooking class using ingredients sourced from the property.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruminative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminative. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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