Library / English Dictionary

CONTEMPLATE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reflect deeply on a subject

Example:

The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate

Synonyms:

chew over; contemplate; excogitate; meditate; mull; mull over; muse; ponder; reflect; ruminate; speculate; think over

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "contemplate" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contemplate"):

premeditate (think or reflect beforehand or in advance)

theologise; theologize (make theoretical speculations about theology or discuss theological subjects)

introspect (reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings)

bethink (consider or ponder something carefully)

cogitate (consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one's mind)

question; wonder (place in doubt or express doubtful speculation)

puzzle (be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide)

consider; study (give careful consideration to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

contemplation (a calm, lengthy, intent consideration)

contemplative (deeply or seriously thoughtful)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Consider as a possibility

Example:

I contemplated leaving school and taking a full-time job

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "contemplate" is one way to...):

consider; deal; look at; take (take into consideration for exemplifying purposes)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "contemplate"):

entertain; flirt with; think about; think of; toy with (take into consideration, have in view)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Derivation:

contemplation (a calm, lengthy, intent consideration)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes

Example:

He is meditating in his study

Synonyms:

contemplate; meditate; study

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "contemplate" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

contemplation (a calm, lengthy, intent consideration)

contemplative (deeply or seriously thoughtful)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought

Example:

contemplate one's navel

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "contemplate" is one way to...):

consider; look at; view (look at carefully; study mentally)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

contemplation (a long and thoughtful observation)

contemplation (a calm, lengthy, intent consideration)

Credits

 Context examples: 

"I hope we are friends," was the unmoved reply; while he still watched the rising of the moon, which he had been contemplating as I approached.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Grant himself went out with an umbrella, there was nothing to be done but to be very much ashamed, and to get into the house as fast as possible; and to poor Miss Crawford, who had just been contemplating the dismal rain in a very desponding state of mind, sighing over the ruin of all her plan of exercise for that morning, and of every chance of seeing a single creature beyond themselves for the next twenty-four hours, the sound of a little bustle at the front door, and the sight of Miss Price dripping with wet in the vestibule, was delightful.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

It left a great void in him, somewhat akin to hunger, but a void which ached and ached, and which food could not fill, At times, when he paused to contemplate the carcasses of the Yeehats, he forgot the pain of it; and at such times he was aware of a great pride in himself,—a pride greater than any he had yet experienced.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Not that I mean to say it's rigidly limited to seventy pounds a-year, because I have always contemplated making any young friend I might thus employ, a present too.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He would have to order his trade-goods, to find a passage on a schooner to the Marquesas, to do a thousand and one things that were awful to contemplate.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

We should neither of us shrink from the task—awful though it be to contemplate.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

This proposal of his, this plan of marrying and continuing at Hartfield—the more she contemplated it, the more pleasing it became.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

I did not, like him, attempt a critical knowledge of their dialects, for I did not contemplate making any other use of them than temporary amusement.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

But, Jane, your aspirations after family ties and domestic happiness may be realised otherwise than by the means you contemplate: you may marry.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

And so I. To crawl is piggish; but to not crawl, to be as the clod and rock, is loathsome to contemplate.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)