ponder
[pon-der]
- to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate (often followed by over or upon).
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- to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully: He pondered his next words thoroughly.
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Origin of ponder
1300–50; Middle English pondren < Middle French ponderer < Latin ponderāre to ponder, weigh; akin to pendēre to be suspended, hang (see pend)
Synonyms
See more synonyms for ponder on Thesaurus.com1. reflect, cogitate, deliberate, ruminate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for ponder
Contemporary Examples
He said he uses the quiet time at night to ponder a move to Puerto Rico or maybe Hawaii.
Two Texas Regulators Tried to Enforce the Rules. They Were Fired.David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News
December 9, 2014
Now that we have gotten over these multifarious horribles, we are obliged to ponder the bigger picture.
Finally, ponder exactly how Maher will make his final choice of congresscritter.
Bill Maher’s Plan To Defeat One Lousy Congressman Is Good for (Almost) EveryoneJames Poulos
February 16, 2014
Gone are the working-man dive bars where Joyce would binge drink and ponder his literary hardship.
No wonder Kerry said he had a lot to ponder before going to bed.
Historical Examples
Let them ponder on the probability of succeeding with the people.
Sunday under Three HeadsCharles Dickens
As I eat my breakfast and smoke my pipe, I ponder over my task.
Ballads of a BohemianRobert W. Service
There was so much time for the Little Girl who should have been a Boy to ponder over it.
The Very Small PersonAnnie Hamilton Donnell
He's always in a ponder, ponder, with his mouth open—except when he's grindin' his teeth.
The Shadow of a CrimeHall Caine
But Asad continued to ponder him with cold eyes, his face inscrutable.
The Sea-HawkRaphael Sabatini
ponder
- (when intr, sometimes foll by on or over) to give thorough or deep consideration (to); meditate (upon)
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Word Origin
C14: from Old French ponderer, from Latin ponderāre to weigh, consider, from pondus weight; related to pendere to weigh
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for ponder
v.
early 14c., "to estimate the worth of, to appraise," from Old French ponderer "to weigh, poise" (14c., Modern French pondérer) and directly from Latin ponderare "ponder, consider, reflect," literally "to weigh," from pondus (genitive ponderis) "weigh" (see pound (n.1)). Meaning "to weigh a matter mentally" is attested from late 14c. Related: Pondered; pondering; ponderation.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper