Synonyms for pensive
- adjective
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Thoughtful
thoughtful, meditative, contemplative, musing, ruminative, reflective, introspective, brooding, pondering, broody, cogitabund formal dated
Definitions
- adj. 1
Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
He sat in pensive silence, weighing his options carefully.
- adj. 2
Having the appearance of deep, often melancholic, thinking.
The author’s tone grows pensive in the final chapters.
Related words
- Word family
- pensively pensiveness
Example sentences
- thoughtful It's thoughtful of you to remind me of my promise.
- contemplative His face looks very serious and contemplative.
- meditative Work is drudgery if you don't think it's meditative.
- dreamy She was so dreamy that no one dared to approach her.
- wistful Ah, this song makes me feel all wistful.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| pensive | rising | |
| thoughtful | rising | |
| contemplative | rising | |
| meditative | rising | |
| musing | rising | |
| dreamy | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- sad1
- 5 letters
- grave1, sober2
- 6 letters
- dreamy2, somber2, sombre, musing2, broody2
- 7 letters
- serious3, wistful2
- 8 letters
- brooding2
- 9 letters
- pondering3
- 10 letters
- thoughtful2, reflective3, melancholy4, meditative4, ruminative, cogitabund
- 13 letters
- contemplative4, introspective4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (sober2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- pensif
- Italiano
- pensoso
- Español
- pensativo
- Deutsch
- nachdenklich