ponder

verb

pon·der ˈpän-dər

pondered; pondering ˈpän-d(ə-)riŋ

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

Example Sentences

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 But freshman forward Ugonna Onyenso's play during the two preseason exhibitions might mean John Calipari and Co. at least could ponder giving him more minutes this season.

Ryan Black, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2022 As more people begin to ponder and experiment with generative AI, there will probably be more lawsuits too.

Will Knight, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2022 Rats should take notice, pigeons ponder their options: wild turkeys have returned to New England.

Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2022 But while 007 gatekeepers Eon carefully ponder who to crown, Dìrísù has spent the last couple of years flexing his acting muscles elsewhere and landed him a promising share of accolades.

Alex Ritman, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2022 Of course, those towering figures of economics such as Hayek and Friedman are no longer around to ponder the course the U.S. is on currently.

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2022 More than once in the past two seasons, senior linebacker Jack Sadowsky has had the chance to ponder that question as a standout for Batavia’s defense.

Rick Armstrong, Chicago Tribune, 15 Nov. 2022 The general plot of the movie, involving a white graduate student researching an urban legend about a Black son of a slave who was lynched for falling in love with a white woman, offers complex questions for viewers to ponder.

Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2022 With that in mind, the interlude before major retailers report their results is a good time for investors to ponder just how hot retail stocks have been.

Jinjoo Lee, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ponder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.