Thesaurus results for MUSE

Q: How is the word 'muse' different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of muse are meditate , ponder , and ruminate . While all these words mean "to consider or examine attentively or deliberately," muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance. // mused upon childhood joys

Q: When is it sensible to use 'meditate' instead of 'muse'?

While in some cases nearly identical to muse , meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply. // meditated on the meaning of life

Q: When might 'ponder' be a better fit than 'muse'?

The meanings of ponder and muse largely overlap; however, ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter. // pondered the course of action

Q: Where would 'ruminate' be a reasonable alternative to 'muse'?

While the synonyms ruminate and muse are close in meaning, 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

muse 1 of 2

noun

Definition of muse next

as in poet

a person who writes poetry where is the muse who will sing of this man's great and noble deeds?

Synonyms & Similar Words

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muse

2 of 2

verb

as in to ruminate

Synonyms & Similar Words

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How is the word muse different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of muse are meditate, ponder, and ruminate. While all these words mean "to consider or examine attentively or deliberately," muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

When is it sensible to use meditate instead of muse?

While in some cases nearly identical to muse, meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

When might ponder be a better fit than muse?

The meanings of ponder and muse largely overlap; however, ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

Where would ruminate be a reasonable alternative to muse?

While the synonyms ruminate and muse are close in meaning, 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 Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of muse

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

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 See all Example Sentences for muse

Recent Examples of Synonyms for muse

Noun

Bananas and Tori make this archeological key dig look as easy as finding a poet in Bushwick, speeding off after only a few minutes.

Emma Sharpe, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2024
The inaugural award was initially intended to go to one artist but was instead granted to two: Julian Charrière, a French-Swiss conceptual artist based in Berlin, and Cecilia Vicuña, a Chilean poet and weaver who splits time between New York Santiago, Chile.

Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024