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.
See Examples For:
It leaves the rest of us to ponder what might become of this England team.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
New Theater Hollywood’s ‘California Gothic: A Bus Tour’ periodically invites riders to meet ghostly street performers and ponder the death of the California dream.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 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
Yes, Minister, I definitely think this is a matter for the Ministry to ponder at length, yes.
From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling
“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
Another officer describes how dire the situation is while George ponders saving his men and asks, “What could be worth the risk?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
Claude Steele ponders what happens when we feel that our social identity is being scrutinized in professional and educational settings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Tiger Woods says he has no timetable for a return to golf, but the 15-time major champion hasn't ruled out the 2026 Masters even as he ponders the over-50s Champions Tour.
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
Dede ponders, rewinding back to the exact moment when she belted that ball.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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
Critics pondered whether “Margaret” was too dated to appeal to today’s youth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
As the filing deadline approaches, Kiley pondered his path forward in a decision that was compared by political insiders to the reality television show “The Bachelor.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 2026
The question that Barclays analyst Dan Levy pondered on Tuesday was, of course, why?
From Barron's ● Feb. 17, 2026
“I pondered a great many options before settling on fabricating everything from ice. I am pleased that you think it like a dream, as that is where the core of the idea came from.”
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
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
Meanwhile, former health secretary Wes Streeting is publicly pondering how soon he may trigger a contest.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
As “Contapposto” arrives at its beautiful, life-affirming conclusion, we are left pondering the significance of artistic endeavor in a world that commodifies everything, including our bodies and brains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
The extent of AI’s impact on the economy is still up for debate, but some are already pondering policy solutions to mitigate the worst-case scenarios.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
The rest of the meal was quiet, me pondering why anyone, even him, wouldn’t want friends, and him glaring, the lights of the highway reflecting in his glasses.
From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia
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.
