ponder
Americanverb (used without object)
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ponders,
present (3rd person singular)
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pondered,
past participle, past
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pondering
present participle
verb (used with object)
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ponders,
present (3rd person singular)
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pondered,
past participle, past
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pondering
present participle
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.
See Examples For:
Moore’s book prompted Keynes to ponder what it meant to be good and, eventually, how much was “enough,” economically speaking, for people to live a good life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
That’s why experts urge people of all ages to think ahead and ponder their end-of-life wishes while they’re still healthy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Watching Maxine ponder her options is particularly affecting, especially in the moments when she tries — and sometimes fails — to reach her daughter, Eden, over the phone.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
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
But what I wanted to do was ponder what all Grandpa had just said.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
In his weekly Flow Show strategy note, Bank of America’s Michael Hartnett ponders the likelihood of Warsh imposing a rate hike to calm the long end of the Treasury curve.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
“In the Mouth of Madness” ponders just how powerful media — and our relationship to it — can be, and Neill gives an electrifying turn as a man caught up in a myth made real.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
He wears a baseball cap and an oversize brown sweater, tugging on the sleeves while he ponders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
In Benidorm, as he ponders what looks likely to be another record-breaking summer for Spain, Fede Fuster acknowledges the backlash against his sector.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
She ponders the transmigrations from the southern latitudes, the millions moving north.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
Before they left, Bella-May, Zoe and Kate pondered what a future exhibition telling the story of life in the 2020s would include.
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
For months, the senior U.S. senator from Montana pondered his political future.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026
Treasury yields settled little changed as Wall Street pondered the risk of a prolonged conflict in Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The question that Barclays analyst Dan Levy pondered on Tuesday was, of course, why?
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
As I pondered this, the silhouette of the goddess began to change.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
He references “Wonder Man’s” most emotional scene, when Simon is in his junky Toyota Camry with Trevor, pondering quitting acting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Treasury yield rose to a 19-year high of 5.238% on Thursday after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold, but left the market pondering about its future path.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
The Schwab strategists began pondering this three years ago as what they called the “great moderation” era — two decades of disinflation, suppressed volatility and reduced supply shocks — was over.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
Instead, they are in tatters, without a captain and pondering a future without one of their greatest ever players.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
I was still pondering Garth’s behavior when my classmates returned to Room 26.
From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney
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.
