reminisce
Americanverb (used without object)
-
reminisces,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reminisced,
past participle, past
-
reminiscing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reminiscesimple
-
reminiscessimple
-
have reminiscedperfect
-
has reminiscedperfect
-
am reminiscingprogressive
-
are reminiscingprogressive
-
is reminiscingprogressive
-
have been reminiscingperfect progressive
-
has been reminiscingperfect progressive
Past
-
reminiscedsimple
-
had reminiscedperfect
-
was reminiscingprogressive
-
were reminiscingprogressive
-
had been reminiscingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reminisce
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from reminiscence
Explanation
Reminisce is a dreamy way of saying "remember the past." If you're swapping old stories with friends and remembering all the silly things you used to do, then you're reminiscing. Reminiscing is all about happy recollections and thinking back to stories from the past. It's hard to reminisce about the old days with someone you don't know very well or haven't known very long, since a key part of reminiscing is a shared history. But just about anyone can reminisce about going elementary school, learning to tie shoelaces, or getting that first job.
Vocabulary lists containing reminisce
List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Think Tank: Thought-Provoking Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
10 Words that Inspired Taylor Swift
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The alums who are still alive are all interviewed and gathered together to reminisce and watch old clips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Later in the evening, at nearby watering hole Bluffs, regulars gathered to toast Dolly, sing karaoke versions of her songs and reminisce about their local legend.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
In interspersed interviews, Knoxville and his pals reminisce about their time together with a distinct wistfulness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
They reminisce about the brown bread: those sweet, dark little wheat loaves scented with honey, molasses, cocoa powder and espresso.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
We gathered in each other’s shacks to reminisce about the holidays in Lithuania.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
Early in his extraordinary new documentary, “Remake,” seasoned filmmaker Ross McElwee reminisces with his young son, Adrian, about their travels together, presenting McElwee’s films at various festivals around the world.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
"I remember vividly reading it on the 273 bus to Ealing from my home in Ruislip, when I was about 11 or 12 years old," he reminisces.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Ed O’Brien of Radiohead is strolling down the beach in Santa Monica on a recent afternoon as he reminisces about his first trip to Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
She also reminisces about how Mar-a-Lago is where her father gave Barron swim lessons, Donald Trump played golf with Barron, and Barron took his first tennis lessons with her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
Naano gushes as she reminisces about this most wonderful day.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen reminisced about working two jobs, living with roommates and eating ramen after college.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Others were pulled back to their lab days: “Considering volunteering my services as I have unintentionally killed Desmodesmus cultures many times,” one scientist reminisced on Bluesky.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
"Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer," former US president Barack Obama reminisced about a meal he shared there with late chef Anthony Bourdain in 2016.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
On Thursday night's show, Sir Paul and Colbert reminisced about past appearances at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater by The Beatles, and memories of the band touring the US.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
For the rest of their lives, the former West Computers reminisced with one another and with the East Computers and the engineers they worked with.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Casado, a Stanford University Ph.D. in computer science, remembers attending Hot Chips, an annual Stanford semiconductor conference, in the early 2000s, when it was largely populated by industry retirees reminiscing about the good old days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Harry Styles opened the first night of his record-breaking residency at Wembley Stadium by reminiscing about his audition for The X Factor, 16 years ago.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
Whether Musk was supporting SpaceX’s valuation or reminiscing about Tesla is unclear.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Stacy is doing plenty of reminiscing but it isn’t about her kids; she’s searching for a way through her pain and into a life on her own terms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
When Vivi wasn’t reminiscing about home, she was a terror.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
