as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
he was clearly in a musing mood, and did not feel like talking just then
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Recent Examples of musing
Beronda L. Montgomery, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Come for the stories of their first Stoppard experiences, stay for the heartwarming musing about Stoppard’s impact on their lives!
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Reddit user u/TotalThing7 shared a nostalgic musing in the subreddit r/CasualConversation after watching a 1990s TV show.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
That’s one philosophical musing.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Noun
Her musing invited me, too, to return to my original deep fascination with this ability of plants that had become routine scientific knowledge to me.
—Beronda L. Montgomery, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
Come for the stories of their first Stoppard experiences, stay for the heartwarming musing about Stoppard’s impact on their lives!
—Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Reddit user u/TotalThing7 shared a nostalgic musing in the subreddit r/CasualConversation after watching a 1990s TV show.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
That’s one philosophical musing.
—Blake Toppmeyer, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for musing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for musing
Adjective
-
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
-
Louis’s memories form an immersive, spellbinding confession of betrayal, murder, and melancholy with palpable sensuality.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Wellness classes are complimentary and include yoga, pilates, sound bath healing, meditation, and HIIT workouts.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
Effective CEOs can attend to their mental and emotional states through intentional self-care, exercise, journaling, meditation, and by blocking out time to truly connect with those most important to them, no matter what.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
It’s all added up to a potential worst-case scenario for Republicans pondering the midterms.—
Bloomberg,
Oc Register,
3 June 2026
-
Recently, that other long-running music magazine published a list of the 100 Greatest Punk Albums and their picks left me pondering the exact boundaries of punk (which, admittedly, is not a very punk thing to do).—
Brendan Hay,
SPIN,
2 June 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
Noun
-
Those could be be relationships, creative endeavors and the contemplation of big questions about life.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Following several years of contemplation and asceticism, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota's Buddhist community at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Marin directed some of his ire at Esalen, the epicenter of the Human Potential Movement and the playground, its critics scoffed, of those privileged enough to spend their days ruminating over the self.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Ricky Gervais will be in attendance to give a masterclass as creator and director of Netflix’s Alley Cats, the adult animation following a group of feral cats who seek companionship while ruminating on everyday life, accompanied by a sneak peek of the first two episodes.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
But the season was also a reflective one.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Straight out of an interstellar sci-fi reverie, the six-suite Echo camp fuses fictional space commander-style architecture with astro-chic interiors for up to 12 guests.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
Even with its unnecessary detours, Singing reaches this wild reverie in the end—a voice reclaimed to report, softly, from the fathomless depths of the human experience.—
Linnie Greene,
Pitchfork,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Musing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/musing. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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