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MUSING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
A calm, lengthy, intent consideration
Synonyms:
contemplation; musing; reflection; reflexion; rumination; thoughtfulness
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
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)
II. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Deeply or seriously thoughtful
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
Synonyms:
brooding; broody; contemplative; meditative; musing; pensive; pondering; reflective; ruminative
Classified under:
Similar:
thoughtful (exhibiting or characterized by careful thought)
III. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb muse
Context examples:
Continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; contemplation of spiritual matters
(Meditation Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)
Thanks to this inspiration, he got on swimmingly for a time, but gradually the work lost its charm, and he forgot to compose, while he sat musing, pen in hand, or roamed about the gay city to get some new ideas and refresh his mind, which seemed to be in a somewhat unsettled state that winter.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
I was pondering these things, when an incident, and a somewhat unexpected one, broke the thread of my musings.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
“It is as a dream, a pleasant dream!” he exclaimed, breaking forth again, after a few minutes' musing.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
It seems she was romantically given, for she sat down upon her box, which stood immediately under the window, and fell into a dream of musing.
(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)
But I recollect being conscious of his company without having noticed his coming in—and my still sitting, musing, over the coffee-room fire.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
The contrast between Mrs. Churchill's importance in the world, and Jane Fairfax's, struck her; one was every thing, the other nothing—and she sat musing on the difference of woman's destiny, and quite unconscious on what her eyes were fixed, till roused by Miss Bates's saying, Aye, I see what you are thinking of, the pianoforte.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
She occupied her mind as much as possible in such like musings and quotations; but it was not possible, that when within reach of Captain Wentworth's conversation with either of the Miss Musgroves, she should not try to hear it; yet she caught little very remarkable.
(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)
"Well," said he, "what are you musing about? What does that grave smile signify?"
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
She was again roused from disagreeable musings by sudden footsteps: somebody was coming at a quick pace down the principal walk.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
