MUSING

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does musing mean? 

• MUSING (noun)
  The noun MUSING has 1 sense:

1. a calm, lengthy, intent consideration

  Familiarity information: MUSING used as a noun is very rare.

• MUSING (adjective)
  The adjective MUSING has 1 sense:

1. deeply or seriously thoughtful

  Familiarity information: MUSING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MUSING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A calm, lengthy, intent consideration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

contemplation; musing; reflection; reflexion; rumination; thoughtfulness

Hypernyms ("musing" is a kind of...):

consideration (the process of giving careful thought to something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "musing"):

cogitation; study (attentive consideration and meditation)

meditation; speculation (continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature)

meditation ((religion) contemplation of spiritual matters (usually on religious or philosophical subjects))

introspection; self-contemplation; self-examination (the contemplation of your own thoughts and desires and conduct)

retrospect (contemplation of things past)

Derivation:

muse (reflect deeply on a subject)

• MUSING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Deeply or seriously thoughtful

Synonyms:

brooding; broody; contemplative; meditative; musing; pensive; pondering; reflective; ruminative

Context example:

Byron lives on not only in his poetry, but also in his creation of the 'Byronic hero' - the persona of a brooding melancholy young man

Similar:

thoughtful (exhibiting or characterized by careful thought)

 Context examples 

She was deep in other musing.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

"I should indeed like to go to school," was the audible conclusion of my musings.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

He had slept a great deal, and spent long hours musing and thinking and doing nothing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Though even that, you know, is far from explaining all, he added, and with the words fell into a vein of musing.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Have you been musing about moving or fixing up your present home?

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

There was nothing for the dogs to do, save the hauling in of meat now and again that Thornton killed, and Buck spent long hours musing by the fire.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

He sat musing a little while, and then said, But I do not see why poor Isabella should be obliged to go back so soon, though he does.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

My aunt sat musing for a little while, with her chin upon her hand.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Catherine stood musing for a while, and at last said to her husband, Hark ye, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back: let us run after the thieves.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Prettier musings of high-wrought love and eternal constancy, could never have passed along the streets of Bath, than Anne was sporting with from Camden Place to Westgate Buildings.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)