ponder
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- ponderer noun
- reponder verb (used without object)
- unpondered adjective
- well-pondered adjective
Etymology
Origin of ponder
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pondren, from Middle French ponderer, from Latin ponderāre “to weigh, reflect on,” derivative of pondus “weight”; akin to pendēre “to be suspended, hang” ( pend )
Explanation
"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary" is the first line of Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven. Many a deep thinker has repeated it while musing. But if you've given up deep thinking, you may say instead, "Nevermore." Think of ponder as reflecting on weighty thoughts. It will help you remember the definition if you can remember the word's Latin roots. It comes from ponderare, which literally meant to weigh, and pondus, which means weight. People sometimes use the word ironically, for example, when someone asks you to do something you really don't want to do. You may tap your chin for a second and say, "Let me ponder that." Pause. "Um, no!"
Vocabulary lists containing ponder
Essential Academic Vocabulary for High School Students, List 2
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"The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The author is remarkably good at finding an obscure statistic or fact that causes the reader to sit back and ponder.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
An Ashes defeat, more humiliating headlines than wins, and now three months for suits to ponder what comes next before England play their next fixture, the first Test of the summer on 4 June.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026
It left me to ponder, how do you know if you’re the Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan of curling or the next great star to revolutionize the sport?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026
Meanwhile, as life expectancy inches higher and financial stress grows, here are three big things to ponder:
From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026
Perhaps you are thinking, your abuelo was a bit loquito, leaving you so much paper to sift through and ponder.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
