ruminate

verb

ru·​mi·​nate ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt 

ruminated; ruminating

transitive verb

1

: to go over in the mind repeatedly and often casually or slowly

2

: to chew repeatedly for an extended period

intransitive verb

1

: to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud

2

: to engage in contemplation : reflect

rumination

ˌrü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

ruminative

ˈrü-mə-ˌnā-tiv 

adjective

ruminatively adverb

ruminator

ˈrü-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

When you ruminate, you chew something over, either literally or figuratively. Literal rumination may seem a little gross to humans, but to cows, chewing your cud (partially digested food brought up from the stomach for another chew) is just a natural part of life. Figurative ruminating is much more palatable to humans; that kind of deep, meditative thought is often deemed quite a worthy activity. The verb ruminate has described metaphorical chewing over since the early 1500s and actual chewing since later that same century. Our English word comes from and shares the meanings of the Latin verb ruminari (“to chew the cud” or “muse upon”), which in turn comes from rumen, the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud).

Synonyms

• chew over
• cogitate
• consider
• contemplate
• debate
• deliberate
• entertain
• eye
• kick around
• meditate
• mull (over)
• perpend
• ponder
• pore (over)
• question
• revolve
• study
• think (about or over)
• turn
• weigh
• wrestle (with)

Choose the Right Synonym for ruminate

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 ruminate in a Sentence

The question got us ruminating on the real value of wealth.

He ruminated over the implications of their decision.

Recent Examples on the Web

Endings are invitations to ruminate, but not every ending has to be apocalyptic. —Arthur Krystal, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

Presence, like much of the director’s recent work, is less an entrée than a charming apéritif, albeit with a couple of smart twists worth ruminating on. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2025

The book highlights the importance of gratitude for the present moment instead of ruminating in the past or worrying about the future. —Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 31 Dec. 2024

To do this, Condon made a key change from the book and musical where Molina was basically either telling the story of his love for the star, or ruminating on her many different films. —Pete Hammond, Deadline, 26 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin ruminatus, past participle of ruminari to chew the cud, muse upon, from rumin-, rumen rumen; perhaps akin to Sanskrit romantha act of chewing the cud

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

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Kids Definition

ruminate

verb

ru·​mi·​nate ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt 

ruminated; ruminating

1

: to spend time thinking : meditate

2

: to chew the cud : bring up and chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed

rumination

ˌrü-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

ruminate

intransitive verb

ru·​mi·​nate ˈrü-mə-ˌnāt 

ruminated; ruminating

1

: to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud

2

: to engage in contemplation