Synonyms

ruminate

American

[roo-muh-nayt] / ˈru məˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

to meditate or muse; ponder.

Synonyms:

reflect, think
Psychology. to obsessively revisit the same thought or theme over and over again.
to chew the cud, as a ruminant.

verb (used with object)

to chew again or over and over.
to meditate on; ponder.

ruminate British

/ ˈruːmɪˌneɪt /

verb

(of ruminants) to chew (the cud)
to meditate or ponder (upon)

"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

Usage

What does ruminate mean? To ruminate is to carefully think something over, ponder it, or meditate on it. It can also mean to chew over and over again, as is done by ruminant animals, like cows. In psychology, the term means to obsessively repeat thoughts or excessively think about problems. In all cases, the process of ruminating is called rumination. Example: After ruminating about it for months, I have decided to pursue a new career.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of ruminate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin rūminātus (past participle of rūminārī, rūmināre “to ruminate”), equivalent to rūmin- (stem of rūmen “throat, gullet”; see rumen) + -ātus past participle suffix ( see -ate ¹)

Explanation

When you ruminate, it means you are thinking very deeply about something. You're likely to be so lost in thought that you stare off into space and don't hear people when they call your name. Another meaning of ruminate is to "chew the cud," which can mean "to turn it over and over in your mind." Or, if you're a cow, to turn food over and over in your stomachs in order to digest it. Whether you're a human or a cow, if you ruminate, it will take a LONG time.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing ruminate

Think Tank: Thought-Provoking Vocabulary

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!

Othello

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!

The Kite Runner

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:

ruminate ruminates ruminated ruminating

This leaves investors and analysts to ruminate amongst themselves.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

"It's the gift we give to an audience, it's just to ruminate on that very serious subject, antisemitism, cruelty of all kinds, hatred of the other," Lithgow said.

From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026

After thinking a young girl's outfit in an airport was inappropriate, she started to ruminate over why those beliefs appeared in the first place.

From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026

According to later biographical accounts, it was during this period that Woods began to ruminate on how rail transportation might be improved—a pursuit that would come to define his life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 18, 2026

I was afraid I’d deliberate, ruminate, agonize, rationalize, and talk myself into not going.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

The author ruminates on Brahms’s inner qualities, telling us that Brahms has been misunderstood as uncivilized.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

In the 1994 classic, Tom Hanks ruminates about fate, resilience and providence, from a park bench that has become a part of movie lore in the way of Judy Garland’s ruby slippers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2025

As he writes, he ruminates on his mother in a voice-over.

From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2024

Across a series of intimate dialogues, the film, adapted from a 1987 novel by Taichi Yamada, ruminates on the estrangement of a generation of gay men and the healing refuges of both companionship and fiction.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 29, 2023

After a scientific expedition to America, Aronnax ruminates over the true nature of the incidents.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

It’s hard to believe Mr. Smith hasn’t ruminated more seriously on what he might have done differently, and maybe he’ll share that someday in a forum other than a House interrogation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026

In his late 60s, on a show called “Legally Speaking,” Morantz ruminated about his battle with Synanon and all it had cost him.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

However, when the reindeer ruminated, this slow-wave activity was decreased during subsequent sleep, and the more they ruminated, the more the slow-wave activity decreased.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 22, 2023

He also ruminated openly about her political future, privately boosting McCray for a potential campaign for Brooklyn borough president.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 5, 2023

He pored over “Old Waldo” Emerson and ruminated on the philosopher’s essay on “Compensation.”

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

When we’re daydreaming and ruminating and self-reflecting and mentally time-traveling or imagining other people’s thoughts, we’re not present.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 15, 2026

Thanks to the dictionary pages she uses for wallpaper, she has a large vocabulary and is prone to ruminating about her ultimate purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026

That picture is complex, but ruminating on your actions can quickly become torturous.

From Slate ● Mar. 16, 2026

Of course, some anger and frustration will come out during these talks, but long-term wallowing and ruminating on perceived unfairness can be more damaging than the layoff itself.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 2, 2026

He had reached his sheep now; it lay ruminating, its alert eyes fixed on him in case he had brought any rolled oats with him.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023