muse

1 of 3

verb

mused; musing

intransitive verb

1
: to become absorbed in thought
especially : to think about something carefully and thoroughly
musing about what might have been
2
archaic : wonder, marvel

transitive verb

: to think or say (something) in a thoughtful way
"I could sell the house," she mused, "but where would I go?"
muser noun

muse

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction
thrown into a muse by the book she was reading

muse

3 of 3

noun (2)

1
capitalized : any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and the arts and sciences
Clio is the Greek Muse of history.
2
: a source of inspiration
especially : a guiding genius
The writer's beloved wife was his muse.
3
: poet

Did you know?

Muse on this: the word muse comes from the Anglo-French muser, meaning “to gape, to idle, to muse.” (Amuse has the same source.) The image evoked is one of a thinker so absorbed in thought as to be unconsciously open-mouthed. Those who muse on their pets’ musings might like to know that muser is ultimately from Latin musus, meaning “mouth of an animal”—also source of the word muzzle. The sister goddesses of Greek mythology known as the Muses have no etymological link: that word, which in lowercase refers to a source of inspiration, comes from Greek Mousa. The ultimate Greek origin of the word museum translates as “of the Muses.”

Choose the Right Synonym for muse

ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately.

ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

ruminate implies going over the same matter in one's thoughts again and again but suggests little of either purposive thinking or rapt absorption.

ruminated on past disappointments

Examples of muse in a Sentence

Verb I could sell the house, she mused, but then where would I go? Noun (2) where is the muse who will sing of this man's great and noble deeds?
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
When Dale goes through the tree and ends up not in the lighthouse, or a cramped well, but inside the concrete facade of the empty pool (the pool that belongs to the missing motel that Victor’s dad, Henry, muses about) nobody’s eager to go teleport themselves anywhere anymore. Erik Kain, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 Zambello mused on the topic of Violetta’s freedom and constrictions as a woman of her time. Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 18 Oct. 2024
Noun
Loomis is an Italian R&B singer and fashion muse from Pacoima, Los Angeles. Amber Corrine, VIBE.com, 28 Oct. 2024 The following article is an excerpt from the new edition of In Review by David Ehrlich, a biweekly newsletter in which our Chief Film Critic and Head Reviews Editor rounds up the site’s latest reviews and muses about current events in the movie worlds. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for muse 

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French muser to gape, idle, muse, from Old French *mus mouth of an animal, from Medieval Latin musus

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin Musa, from Greek Mousa

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of muse was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near muse

Cite this Entry

“Muse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muse. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

muse

1 of 2 verb
mused; musing
: ponder

muse

2 of 2 noun
1
capitalized : any of the nine sister goddesses of song and poetry and the arts and sciences in Greek mythology
2
: a source of inspiration
Etymology

Verb

Middle English musen "to ponder," from early French muser "to gape, muse," Latin musus "mouth of an animal"

Noun

Middle English Muse "one of the nine goddesses of the arts," from early French Muse (same meaning), from Latin Musa (same meaning), from Greek Mousa "Muse"

More from Merriam-Webster on muse

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