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
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
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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Lines that seem artlessly off-the-cuff on first pass accrue an unexpected weight and purpose the fourth time through; the countrified guitar lick that sounds so chipper at the start of a song is dripping with melancholy by the end.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
4 June 2026
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Louis’s memories form an immersive, spellbinding confession of betrayal, murder, and melancholy with palpable sensuality.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Rather, Mitchell said the decision to exclude candidates was made after thoughtful consideration and a two-thirds vote of the party’s roughly 50-member executive board.—
Matthew Kelly
Updated June 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
-
The younger dude's use of Rick's musical idea and turning it into a worldwide hit sparks a thoughtful quest about fame and credit.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 June 2026
Adjective
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One of the vehicles also had a light-up arrow, and all three workers had their yellow and orange reflective gear on.—
Adam Harrington,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
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But the season was also a reflective one.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Through Arnold’s lens, the Hollywood icon is quiet, contemplative and natural.—
Sheena McKenzie,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Family Akelarre is an adults-forward hotel, designed more for couples and contemplative travelers than for toddlers with energy to burn.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
This summer’s take on beachy perfumes encapsulates the calming, pensive, and healing nature of the seashore.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
3 June 2026
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Eve captured Monroe posing on a playground, looking warm but pensive in the shots, which also show her reading James Joyce's Ulysses.—
Angela Andaloro,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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The aesthetic is minimal, meditative, and designed to let nature do the talking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
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The finish is long, sweet, and meditative, with lingering notes of sweet wood smoke and orchard fruit.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruminative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminative. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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