brooding

1 of 2

adjective

brood·​ing ˈbrü-diŋ How to pronounce brooding (audio)
Synonyms of brooding
1
: moodily or sullenly thoughtful or serious
a brooding genius
a brooding, embittered man
2
: darkly somber
a brooding landscape
a quiet, brooding atmosphere
… brooding, violent images reminiscent of … film noir …—Tracy Hopkins
broodingly adverb
a broodingly handsome actor
Gardner gazes broodingly at the camera … —Kathleen Murphy

brooding

2 of 2

present participle of brood entry 3

Examples of brooding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Davidson previously teased just how far the transformation goes, appearing in an earlier first-look image with longer hair, a darker, more brooding look, and colored contacts. — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 26 Aug. 2026 In a little over a hundred pages, Martin interlaces stark, brooding and intense descriptions of the encounter and her injuries with philosophical, even spiritual, explorations. — The Know, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026 Alvarez was a fan of the brooding, vulnerable bedroom pop that had turned the then-20-year-old, born David Anthony Burke, into a Gen Z sensation. — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026 What results is a darker Spider-Man – not the brooding or grim sense of a Batman movie, but displaying the gravity that comes with the burden of responsibility. — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brooding

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brooding was in 1818

Rhymes for brooding

See All Rhymes for brooding

Browse Nearby Words

broodiness
brooding
broodless
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brooding. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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