- present participle of contemplate.
contemplating
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of contemplating
First recorded in 1580–90; contemplat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective; contemplat(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun
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.
Soriot built his reputation by doing almost the exact opposite of what he might now be contemplating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
This man, meanwhile, is contemplating waiting so that his wife will get a higher amount through survivor benefits in the event he dies before she does.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Maxine is, after all, also an artist, trying to preserve her relationship with her children while going through a divorce, contemplating just how honest to be as she works through her mind’s frenzied state.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
“After a few years of contemplating whether I wanted to continue chasing a dream I had as a little kid, I have decided to go for it,” Ohashi wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
“Shut up over there,” Miss Annie screamed through her shutters as Ignatius gathered his smock about him and swept into the hall contemplating his most important problem: organizing a new assault against the minx’s effrontery.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
