ponder
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pondersimple
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ponderssimple
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have ponderedperfect
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has ponderedperfect
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am ponderingprogressive
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are ponderingprogressive
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is ponderingprogressive
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have been ponderingperfect progressive
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has been ponderingperfect progressive
Past
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ponderedsimple
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had ponderedperfect
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was ponderingprogressive
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were ponderingprogressive
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had been ponderingperfect progressive
Future
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” ( see 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.
England's attacking style in their opening World Cup win against Croatia in Dallas created a stir of excitement but still left head coach Thomas Tuchel with questions to ponder.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
I’d wager that most people seldom sit by themselves and ponder what makes them tick, what causes their engines to rev, or why they like that one specific thing.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
The bold prediction raises an interesting issue, insofar as investors must ponder what will happen to the market after an influential bank tells clients to prepare for higher all-time highs.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
You wouldn’t necessarily call “What a Time” a concept album, though many of the songs ponder the ways memory and history can shape a romance.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
Before I could even begin to ponder it, something even stranger happened: The ogre stretched out on a soft platform, covered itself with a large piece of cloth, and died.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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.
