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
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
Justin Vernon’s vision is expansive as ever, pairing a pensive drum track with country guitar strumming (reminiscent of his early band DeYarmond Edison) and pristine, silvery synthesizers.
—Alex Suskind, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Martin appears pensive in the sunny shot, while Apple posed with her head resting in her hand.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The musician showcased the pensive track, which references Nashville venue Robert’s Western World, on an acoustic guitar, offering an intimate rendition that befits his current solo tour.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
Arriving at the Berlinale for the world premiere of Hong’s latest film, What Does that Nature Say to You, Kwon tells Deadline that he is drawn to Hong’s distinct long-take, pensive style, which repeatedly offers a fresh and liberating challenge for him as an actor.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
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Alex Suskind, Vulture, 4 Mar. 2025
Martin appears pensive in the sunny shot, while Apple posed with her head resting in her hand.
—Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 Mar. 2025
The musician showcased the pensive track, which references Nashville venue Robert’s Western World, on an acoustic guitar, offering an intimate rendition that befits his current solo tour.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
Arriving at the Berlinale for the world premiere of Hong’s latest film, What Does that Nature Say to You, Kwon tells Deadline that he is drawn to Hong’s distinct long-take, pensive style, which repeatedly offers a fresh and liberating challenge for him as an actor.
—Sara Merican, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
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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