RUMINATIVE Synonyms: 49 Similar and Opposite Words

ruminative

adjective

as in melancholy

given to or marked by long, quiet thinking a ruminative man, who contributed to discussions only after he had completely thought things through

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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.

Recent Examples of ruminative Set on the eve of the Korean war, this ruminative story follows a midwestern family that’s fractured by a mother’s sudden disappearance. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026 But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow. — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026 Their ruminative hush sets them apart in an era of instant-gratification drops. — Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 15 June 2026 But as is fitting for a filmmaker pushing 80, awestruck innocence now co-exists with a more ruminative maturity, especially when touching on the secrecy, manipulation and deception of governmental power. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2026 Lily Allen, Jack Whitehall and Timothy Spall also star in Tina Gharavi's SXSW London opener, which refashions Woolf's diffuse, ruminative feminist novel into a straightforwardly inspirational tale. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 3 June 2026 And keep in mind, Dosa’s film is a ruminative and poetic love letter to a glacier, so literally and figuratively super slow moving is the perfect rollout for a film like this. — Brian Welk, IndieWire, 3 June 2026 But nearly ten years on, as the world order unravels, the exhibition’s ruminative posture comes across as toothless and unfinished. — Horace D. Ballard, Artforum, 22 Apr. 2026 Documentarians Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who also gave us the ruminative Nick Cave portrait 20,000 Days on Earth (2014), use this as an elaborate framing device, the sort of oddball choice that doesn’t feel necessary yet also doesn’t detract from the goal at hand. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruminative

Adjective

Perhaps that doubt is the secret melancholy at the heart of even their most seemingly celebratory songs.

— Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
To be born whole again into the world, a new world—a world without melancholy.

— Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of melancholy

Adjective

And Winnie-the-Pooh continues to sit, in a thoughtful sort of way, which is what very old bears in very nice glass cases mostly do.

— STEVE HENDRIX THE WASHINGTON POST, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
While the palette is narrow, thoughtful color moments are strategically placed through accents like carpets and textiles.

— Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of thoughtful

Adjective

Community members' opposition to data center development in Memphis is reflective of the broader attitude across America in recent months.

— Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
José Antonio Bañuelos-Díaz, 42, a Mexican national and West Adams resident, appeared in court wearing a reflective vest with the name of a landscaping company, blue jeans and boots with the American flag on them.

— Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of reflective

Adjective

Hans Op de Beeck’s first dalliance with a luxury house feels a lot like his art — hushed, contemplative, and slightly under the radar.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
Her perspective—consistently serene and largely without self-interest—lends the novel a restrained and gently contemplative tone.

— Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of contemplative

Adjective

Baitz’s story is set in Palm Springs, in December, 2004, at the home of Polly and Lyman Wyeth, an opulent sandstone aerie with meditative views of the desert, a massive Christmas tree, and portraits of eminences like Barry Goldwater.

— Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Zaitova fell in love with the meditative process of creating mosaics using natural stone, smalt, and glass tile.

— Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of meditative

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ruminations

ruminative

rummage

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“Ruminative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruminative. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ruminative

adjective

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