ponder

verb

pon·der ˈpän-dər

pondered; pondering ˈpän-d(ə-)riŋ

Synonyms of ponder next

transitive verb

: to weigh in the mind : appraise

pondered their chances of success

: to think about : reflect on

pondered the events of the day

intransitive verb

: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply

ponderer

ˈpän-dər-ər

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for ponder

ponder, meditate, muse, ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately.

ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

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 of ponder in a Sentence

He pondered the question before he answered. The team pondered their chances of success. We pondered whether we could afford the trip.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

Chalamet spends an hour in the house, sitting in the very bedroom where a young Robert Zimmerman gazed out at snowy ground and pondered his future. —

Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 18 Nov. 2024 Gallego’s better standing with Arizona voters is more than a mirror image of Republican Kari Lake’s relatively weak pull with GOP voters and will invite extra scrutiny as Democrats ponder their future after an electoral beating. —

Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 9 Nov. 2024 According to Manville, there are plenty other issues to ponder amid the uncertainty of a second season of Grotesquerie. —

Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Nov. 2024 Kate also continues to ponder putting her hat in the ring for the job of vice president of the United States. —

Dana Rose Falcone, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ponder