as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pensive
The main villain of the piece, Simba’s dreadful uncle Scar, is a superior bad guy, pensive and brooding rather than angry or shill.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024
The books have gotten longer and more pensive at the same time as they’ve been subjected to fewer cuts — witness the magnificently bloated 1Q84 (2011) or his most recent full-length novel, Killing Commendatore (2017).
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
The dog that appears in the movie is a Great Dane named Bing, who weighs 151 pounds and can look pensive on cue.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
The album then descends into a mix of West Coast bops and pensive soulful cuts, tapping Mustard yet again and a slew of local west coast artists that people may not have been familiar with.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pensive 
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Nov. 2024
The books have gotten longer and more pensive at the same time as they’ve been subjected to fewer cuts — witness the magnificently bloated 1Q84 (2011) or his most recent full-length novel, Killing Commendatore (2017).
—Bailey Trela, Vulture, 19 Nov. 2024
The dog that appears in the movie is a Great Dane named Bing, who weighs 151 pounds and can look pensive on cue.
—Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2024
The album then descends into a mix of West Coast bops and pensive soulful cuts, tapping Mustard yet again and a slew of local west coast artists that people may not have been familiar with.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pensive
Adjective
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Knowledge of that ticking clock is one of many affecting veins of melancholy subtext running through Ira Sachs’ uniquely beautiful experiment in verbatim first-person biography, Peter Hujar’s Day, a work that ranks among the director’s best.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
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The songs that make up the film’s soundtrack similarly run the gamut; a flamenco number anchors a melancholy moment of remembrance.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Balances Boundaries with Flexibility Having clear boundaries, while maintaining thoughtful flexibility, creates the ideal foundation for parenting, says Chicvak.—
Michelle Felder, LCSW,
Parents,
30 Jan. 2025
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The zippered vents and pockets go above standard issue thanks to their thoughtful locations: the avalanche beacon pocket is on the chest, where it can be reached if necessary, and the swing hatch panel removes the hassle of bathroom breaks.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Related Articles The tone of the dress featured an icy hue with a reflective quality that mimicked the purple and blue hues of the backdrop behind Ambrosio as cameras flashed.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
31 Jan. 2025
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All seven colors include reflective accents for nighttime visibility.—
Jessica Macdonald,
Travel + Leisure,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The performance is thrillingly lived-in — from Peter’s contemplative thought process to the seductive fluidity of his movements.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
27 Jan. 2025
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Image In the interview, conducted five years before his death, Mr. Ben-Gurion offered an unusually raw, contemplative analysis of his life’s work.—
Isabel Kershner,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Trudy was somber and a bit peeved that Mouch had forgotten her birthday.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2025
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Republicans were quick to jump out of their chairs to applaud while Democrats sat somber, arms crossed.—
Joey Garrison,
USA TODAY,
26 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pensive
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pensive. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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