pensive

adjective

ˈpen(t)-siv How to pronounce pensive (audio)
Definition of pensivenext
as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking rainy days often put her in a pensive mood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 pensive For Waititi, the film has lots of comedic parts while retaining the pensive beauty of the original text. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 Or a mature, pensive Robin Hood, by Sean Connery. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026 That’s followed by some pensive, unaccompanied trumpet, also by Wooley, the former University of Denver Lamont School of Music student who’s gone on to an impactful, creative career. — Bret Saunders, Denver Post, 6 June 2026 This summer’s take on beachy perfumes encapsulates the calming, pensive, and healing nature of the seashore. — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 3 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for pensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pensive
  1. melancholy
  2. thoughtful
  3. reflective
  4. contemplative
  5. somber
Adjective
  • On the page, Hig’s first-person descriptions of his everyday adventures, and of the waning natural world around him, had an honest, melancholy soul to them.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a gravity, even a melancholy to her Mary Stone, which drew on Fabares’ ability to project a genuine inner life into the least promising scenarios.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of melancholy
Adjective
  • The angular build brings in thoughtful symmetry and lots of tabletop space to curate a varied display of coffee table books and knickknacks.
    — Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Ranjit Bawa, chief technology and ventures officer at Deloitte, also recommends giving employees autonomy to make thoughtful decisions around when to use AI.
    — Sophie Caldwell, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of thoughtful
Adjective
  • Tycho Crater is visible in the lower region of the lunar disk close to the shadow, while bright ejecta rays of reflective material brighten the darker lunar seas, where lava solidified to form basaltic plains billions of years ago.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Exhilarating, sublime, and unsettling, these installations—which often incorporate polka-dot balloons, pumpkins, LED lights, and soundtracks—immerse the viewer in infinite reflective surfaces, exploding even small spaces into an endless expanse.
    — Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • The Sisters embody a unique culture of prayer, silence, solitude and community, living in a contemplative and cloistered order.
    — Kelly Wilkinson, IndyStar, 27 Aug. 2026
  • After that feral beginning, the rest of the album is mostly contemplative, wistful, and understated, amid cascading guitars and various sounds that are at times acoustic or gently swirling.
    — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of contemplative
Adjective
  • Davis was much more somber, and his attorney, Wayne Higgins, is heard frequently admonishing his client for volunteering unnecessary information.
    — Taylor Romine, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Bookended by drone shots of the Macedonian countryside and a somber cello refrain by Novogradska, this 86-minute doc is otherwise composed of scoreless interviews with subjects seated in front of black curtains and captured in medium range.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of somber

Browse Nearby Words

pensions
pensive
penstock
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Cite this Entry

“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pensive. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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