musing
Americanadjective
noun
Other Word Forms
- musingly adverb
- unmusing adjective
Etymology
Origin of musing
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; muse, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
Use the adjective musing to describe something that's reflective or thoughtful, like a musing diary entry that explores the meaning of life. When you ponder or contemplate, you muse, and anything that appears this way can be described as musing. You might love your English teacher's musing responses to students' questions or grow bored by a French film's slow, musing quality. You can also use the word as a noun meaning "period of reflection," although it's most often written as the plural musings: "This book is nothing but the author's musings about his cat."
Vocabulary lists containing musing
Our Town
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Just Mercy
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"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" by Walt Whitman
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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 co-author of a report musing about artificial intelligence disrupting a host of businesses says he was betting those companies would go down in value.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
“Some went in reverse, actually, if you look,” he said, musing on Europe’s colonial history.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026
In the changing rooms, a welcoming, ready-made friendship group of Newcastle-supporting team-mates pull on black and white jerseys while musing about early season defeats by Juventus and Inter Milan.
From BBC • Nov. 24, 2025
Given that context, Hawke’s musing about one of Redford’s obituaries makes sense.
From Salon • Oct. 8, 2025
It seemed to look between Ekon and Koffi, musing, and as its gaze landed on Ekon, its proper name rose to the forefront of his mind, pulled from the pages of Nkrumah’s journal.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
