as in melancholy
given to or marked by long, quiet thinking
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
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Recent Examples of pensive
Please submit your answers via old-timey telegraphs — and an expansion of his thematic preoccupations, The Phoenician Scheme finds our man Wes in a somewhat pensive mood.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
Anderson proves worthy of some knockout emotional moments, Jamie Lee Curtis shines as a feisty cocktail waitress, and Dave Bautista steals scenes as the show's pensive stage manager.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 May 2025
For a few seconds, save for a piano playing a few pensive notes, there was silence.
—Edwin Goei, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
In the film, Johansson’s character, a lonely young woman, bonds with a pensive movie star played by Bill Murray in Tokyo.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 28 May 2025
Anderson proves worthy of some knockout emotional moments, Jamie Lee Curtis shines as a feisty cocktail waitress, and Dave Bautista steals scenes as the show's pensive stage manager.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 24 May 2025
For a few seconds, save for a piano playing a few pensive notes, there was silence.
—Edwin Goei, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025
In the film, Johansson’s character, a lonely young woman, bonds with a pensive movie star played by Bill Murray in Tokyo.
—Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pensive
Adjective
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The pair's scenes are stunningly well-written, tasking the actors with navigating a whirlwind of anger, frustration, melancholy, and love in tight, uncomfortable spaces.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
-
The film’s odd tone — propulsive yet melancholy, cutting yet reflective — seems to embody the fact that nothing ever stays the same.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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The dress even has thoughtful front pockets for stashing goods on the go.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 July 2025
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Director Hyuk Jae-kwon creates a seductively eerie mood with thoughtful visual effects and discordant background noises.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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Faculty at Ivy League and other top schools are encouraged to revisit their course policies regularly, experiment with new pedagogical methods, and guide students through the process of using AI in responsible, reflective ways.—
Christopher Rim,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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On July 5, the low angle of the sun will cast prominent shadows along the eastern rim of the impact crater, while highlighting reflective debris streaks known as ejecta rays that were cast out during its creation some 800 million years ago.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Released in March, the 14-track project does sound simultaneously disorderly and controlled, at once bursting at the seams and laced with moments of contemplative chill.—
Katie Bain,
Billboard,
3 July 2025
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This immensely slow-moving and contemplative energy joins us into Leo season, which starts when the sun enters this confident fire sign on July 22.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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However, while circumstances were smooth-sailing at the start, things quickly took a somber turn on July 2, 1937.—
Yasmeen Hamadeh,
People.com,
2 July 2025
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His overjoyed demeanor starkly contrasted with his somber appearance in court just a day before when jurors said they were deadlocked on one of the five counts.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pensive. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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