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 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
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
Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminative
Adjective
-
Early Years Eichenberg recounted his childhood with some melancholy.—
Jessica George,
JSTOR Daily,
27 May 2026
-
But most memorably, the Bellucci plays a lonely, melancholy artist living on the farm whose role holds the key to the movie’s (however narrow) emotional strengths.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
There was an eight-pillow menu to choose from, which was a thoughtful touch.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
-
The in-room bar offered a thoughtful curation of Turkish snacks and treats, such as potato chips made from tubers grown in the surrounding Nevşehir region and a chocolate bar handmade by an Istanbul chocolatier.—
Anya von Bremzen,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Designed by a team that includes Burns & McDonnell, Zahner, an architectural metal fabricator, and KEM Studio, the pavilion features a reflective metal canopy inspired by the reflection and flow of the Missouri River.—
Eric Adler,
Kansas City Star,
30 May 2026
-
This inward, reflective energy will be around longer than usual as Mercury slows to a station retrograde in Cancer on June 29, extending its stay there all the way into early August.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and Heaven Hill 7-Year show how far a simple 78/10/12 mash bill can go, from a workhorse mixer to a contemplative sipper.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
Meditation on the River For the watchmaking executive, there’s a profoundly contemplative aspect to fly fishing, amounting to his own form of mindfulness in waders.—
Lily Templeton,
Footwear News,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Ava takes herself for a pensive solo walk in comically wide pants.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
With stories focused on surviving rowdy family, moments of loneliness, struggles with faith, and navigating our deepest human relationships, Johnson’s abilities as a pensive storyteller are conducted masterfully.—
Tribune News Service,
Baltimore Sun,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
The aesthetic is minimal, meditative, and designed to let nature do the talking.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
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 4 Jun. 2026.
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