ponder

verb

pon·​der ˈpän-dər 

pondered; pondering ˈpän-d(ə-)riŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to weigh in the mind : appraise

pondered their chances of success

2

: to think about : reflect on

pondered the events of the day

intransitive verb

: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply

ponderer

ˈpän-dər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• chew over
• cogitate
• consider
• contemplate
• debate
• deliberate
• entertain
• eye
• kick around
• meditate
• mull (over)
• perpend
• pore (over)
• question
• revolve
• ruminate
• study
• think (about or over)
• turn
• weigh
• wrestle (with)

Choose the Right Synonym for ponder

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 ponder in a Sentence

He pondered the question before he answered.

The team pondered their chances of success.

We pondered whether we could afford the trip.

Recent Examples on the Web

Fans took to the comments to both praise and ponder Trainor's new look. —Tracy Wright, Fox News, 23 Mar. 2025

For the six years between the two boys’ deaths, James, too, was pondering suicide—Vincent’s, and then, at some point, his own. —Yiyun Li, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2025

Born partly out of his own grieving process, director David Cronenberg’s macabre futuristic-tinged mind-gamer ponders big questions about death and technology. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2025

Older Americans often ponder the best age to claim Social Security. —Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French ponderer, from Latin ponderare to weigh, ponder, from ponder-, pondus weight — more at pendant

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for ponder

• condor
• fonder
• launder
• mandir
• maunder
• squander
• wander
• yonder
• responder
• transponder

Kids Definition

ponder

verb

pon·​der ˈpän-dər 

pondered; pondering -d(ə-)riŋ 

: to consider carefully

ponderer

-dər-ər 

noun