pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv 
1
: musingly or dreamily thoughtful
a pensive young poet
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
her face had the pensive mournfulness of a seraph in an old sad painting—
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of pensive in a Sentence
… the combination of national crisis and imminent electoral victory creates an atmosphere at once pensive and elated.
—Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Recent Examples on the Web
David's more reserved, pensive demeanor is no match for Benji's charm and charisma — much of which is masking his struggles with his mental health.
—Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
As the title suggests, this is a show of reflection in every sense of the word, pensive but ultimately optimistic.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Her expression is at once nervy and pensive, the scholar and the militant in full and equal view.
—Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
The other key asset to the film is Warren Ellis’ score, which starts out pensive and quietly troubling before shifting almost imperceptibly into a much more emotional vein with the surge of feeling that accompanies the forward time jumps.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pensive 
Ew Staff, EW.com, 24 Oct. 2024
As the title suggests, this is a show of reflection in every sense of the word, pensive but ultimately optimistic.
—Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024
Her expression is at once nervy and pensive, the scholar and the militant in full and equal view.
—Hazlitt, 4 Sep. 2024
The other key asset to the film is Warren Ellis’ score, which starts out pensive and quietly troubling before shifting almost imperceptibly into a much more emotional vein with the surge of feeling that accompanies the forward time jumps.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pensive
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pensive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pensive
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv
1
: dreamily thoughtful
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
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