pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv 
1
: musingly or dreamily thoughtful
a pensive young poet
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
her face had the pensive mournfulness of a seraph in an old sad painting—
Herman Wouk
Herman Wouk
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
Examples of pensive in a Sentence
… the combination of national crisis and imminent electoral victory creates an atmosphere at once pensive and elated.
—Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Yossi Klein Halevi, New Republic, 25 Dec. 2000
We take in the synchronized swimming of sardines and the pensive patrol of a leopard shark.
—Roger Rosenblatt, Time, 5 Oct. 1998
… did not seem depressed so much as pensive, and within a few minutes he was talking eagerly—in fact, unstoppably—about his favorite subject: school.
—James Traub, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 1994
The child sat by himself, looking pensive.
rainy days often put her in a pensive mood
Recent Examples on the Web
So even though the tracking of a pensive Rodgers on a beach in Australia and the paparazzi-style documenting of Wilson’s visits to the Browns and Giants gave the impression of high stakes, the reality is it never mattered which veteran quarterback the Giants landed.
—Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
On March 11, Rodgers was seen looking pensive during a beachside stroll in Malibu, Calif.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Over a simple, pensive beat, Rexx and Mick deliver verses that temper political commentary with relatable, personal narratives, while BLK ODYSSEY delivers a haunting hook.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
Rohan Goyal Double exposure This photo by Rohan Goyal, a 32-year-old with Down syndrome, captures his mother in a pensive mood laid over the image of a tall building.
—Charu Bahri, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
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Dan Duggan, The Athletic, 22 Mar. 2025
On March 11, Rodgers was seen looking pensive during a beachside stroll in Malibu, Calif.
—Natasha Dye, People.com, 18 Mar. 2025
Over a simple, pensive beat, Rexx and Mick deliver verses that temper political commentary with relatable, personal narratives, while BLK ODYSSEY delivers a haunting hook.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
Rohan Goyal Double exposure This photo by Rohan Goyal, a 32-year-old with Down syndrome, captures his mother in a pensive mood laid over the image of a tall building.
—Charu Bahri, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pensive
Cite this Entry
“Pensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pensive. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pensive
adjective
pen·sive
ˈpen(t)-siv
1
: dreamily thoughtful
2
: suggestive of sad thoughtfulness
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
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