ponder

[ pon-der ]

/ ˈpɒn dər /

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verb (used without object)

to consider something deeply and thoroughly; meditate (often followed by over or upon).

verb (used with object)

to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully: He pondered his next words thoroughly.

Nearby words

pond lily, pond scum, pond snail, pond-apple, pond-skater, ponder, ponderable, ponderosa pine, ponderous, pondicherry, pondo

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 FOR ponder

1 reflect, cogitate, deliberate, ruminate.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ponder ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

pon·der·er, nounre·pon·der, verb (used without object)un·pon·dered, adjectivewell-pon·dered, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ponder

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|DAILY BEAST
Now that we have gotten over these multifarious horribles, we are obliged to ponder the bigger picture.
Gay Marriage Vs. the First Amendment|James Poulos|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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) Everyone|James Poulos|February 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Gone are the working-man dive bars where Joyce would binge drink and ponder his literary hardship.
Exploring the Darker Side of James Joyce’s Trieste|Jeff Campagna|January 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

No wonder Kerry said he had a lot to ponder before going to bed.
Egypt’s Arab Spring Gives Way To Spring Of The Patriarch|Christopher Dickey|January 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At length he sank unconsciously into a reverie, and began to ponder as to what sort of people wanted these productions?
Taras Bulba and Other Tales|Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
There is rather a subtle point in the considerations now brought forward, on which it will be necessary for us to ponder.
Time and Tide|Robert S. (Robert Stawell) Ball
Nay, even the novelist may find it well worth his while to ponder its marvellous details.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 69, No. 427, May, 1851|Various
Indeed, he had small time to ponder, for his comrade was quickening his steps, and he had to hasten to reach his side.
Tom Tufton's Travels|Evelyn Everett-Green
At the first opening of the doors, Graye left the church and wandered away into the fields to ponder on another scheme.
Desperate Remedies|Thomas Hardy

British Dictionary definitions for ponder

ponder

/ (ˈpɒndə) /

verb

(when intr, sometimes foll by on or over) to give thorough or deep consideration (to); meditate (upon)

Word Origin for ponder

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