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
But as is fitting for a filmmaker pushing 80, awestruck innocence now co-exists with a more ruminative maturity, especially when touching on the secrecy, manipulation and deception of governmental power.
—
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026
Things turn even jazzier a couple minutes in, when trumpeter Cees Bruinsma lays down the song’s ruminative central riff before veering off into exploratory flights of fancy.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026
And keep in mind, Dosa’s film is a ruminative and poetic love letter to a glacier, so literally and figuratively super slow moving is the perfect rollout for a film like this.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
But nearly ten years on, as the world order unravels, the exhibition’s ruminative posture comes across as toothless and unfinished.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 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
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
David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026
Things turn even jazzier a couple minutes in, when trumpeter Cees Bruinsma lays down the song’s ruminative central riff before veering off into exploratory flights of fancy.
—Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 4 June 2026
Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026
And keep in mind, Dosa’s film is a ruminative and poetic love letter to a glacier, so literally and figuratively super slow moving is the perfect rollout for a film like this.
—Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 June 2026
But nearly ten years on, as the world order unravels, the exhibition’s ruminative posture comes across as toothless and unfinished.
—Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 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
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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But the melancholy pop soundtrack (Gracie Abrams, Lana del Rey, Noah Cyrus) and many, many longing gazes suggest we’re meant to find all of this terribly moving, rather than exhausting.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
Isn’t this a melancholy view of things?—
Jeffrey Goldberg,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless of one’s position, a decision about downtown’s historic core deserves thoughtful public discussion.—
Sarah M. Boye,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 June 2026
-
General Daily Insight for June 14, 2026 Fresh pages wait for thoughtful words tonight.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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Below it, the floor-length skirt consisted of a dense curtain of long reflective strands.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
13 June 2026
-
Former Blue Jays catching prospect Phil Clarke announced his retirement from professional baseball on Wednesday, sharing a reflective message about the circumstances that led to his decision after spending years working his way through Toronto's minor league system.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
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For Floridians and travelers seeking an antidote to crowded attractions—or simply a softer, more contemplative side of the state—Bok Tower Gardens remains one of Florida's most peaceful and underrated day trips.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
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As Molloy gradually succeeds in puncturing Lestat’s aloof, arrogant outer shell, his sound correspondingly shifts from assaultive punk to more contemplative ballads.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
Adjective
-
Or a mature, pensive Robin Hood, by Sean Connery.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
-
This summer’s take on beachy perfumes encapsulates the calming, pensive, and healing nature of the seashore.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Both artists push back on the stereotype of ambient music as something that’s necessarily meditative or pleasant.—
Brad Sanders,
Pitchfork,
8 June 2026
-
In her latest offering, the 32-year-old pivots from the darker sound of her debut, moving toward a meditative approach (in the very literal sense) to the music that colors life in the Caribbean.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruminative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminative. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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