Synonyms of muse

muse 1 of 2

noun

as in poet

a person who writes poetry

where is the muse who will sing of this man's great and noble deeds?

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poet
• minstrel
• bard
• rimester
• rhymester
• versifier
• poetaster
• poetess
• troubadour
• lyricist
• poet laureate
• sonneteer
• rhapsodist
• rhymer
• epigrammatist
• scop
• rhapsode
• epigrammatizer

muse

2 of 2

verb

as in to ruminate

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ruminate
• ponder
• meditate
• contemplate
• reflect
• project
• reminisce
• relive
• plan
• invent
• make up
• concoct
• daydream
• re-create
• manufacture
• dream
• foresee
• fabricate
• vision
• fantasy
• hallucinate
• fantasize
• prefigure
• visualize
• envision
• imagine
• image
• envisage
• fancy
• feature
• conceive
• conjure (up)
• picture
• conceit
• stargaze
• see
• ideate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word muse different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of muse are meditate, ponder, and ruminate. While all these words mean "to consider or examine attentively or deliberately," muse suggests a more or less focused daydreaming as in remembrance.

mused upon childhood joys

When is it sensible to use meditate instead of muse?

While in some cases nearly identical to muse, meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

meditated on the meaning of life

When might ponder be a better fit than muse?

The meanings of ponder and muse largely overlap; however, ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter.

pondered the course of action

Where would ruminate be a reasonable alternative to muse?

While the synonyms ruminate and muse are close in meaning, 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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of muse

Noun

From jazz legends to modern hip-hop icons, artists have long turned to cannabis as a muse, sparking new ideas, pushing boundaries, and expanding the realms of artistic expression. —Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025

The fluted olive-oil container was his subject but never his muse. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025

Verb

The performance, which also featured British artist Dexter Dalwood and writer and translator Heather Cleary, was held at Casa Margarita, the organization’s newest venue once the home of Margarita Quijano, a writer and muse to poet Ramón López Velarde. —Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 5 Feb. 2025

Henry became the exclusive house model and muse to Latin American designer Adolfo until the mid-’80s, while Darden walked in America and Europe. —Tonya Blazio-Licorish, WWD, 31 Jan. 2025

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