Dictionary

ponder en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɒn.də/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

Meanings

1. (colloquial) A period of deep thought.
   • I lit my pipe and had a ponder about it, but reached no definite conclusion.

Forms

ponder en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɑn.dəɹ/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˈpɒn.də/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English ponderen, from Old French ponderer (“to weigh, balance, ponder”) from Latin ponderāre (“to weigh, ponder”), from pondus (“weight”), from pendere (“to weigh”); see pendent and pound.

Meanings

1. To wonder, think of deeply.
   • Some days, the whole cast of crabs would come out of their holes and ponder at the Fishers as if a storm is taking form. 2023, Sunil Santha, Climate Change, Small-Scale Fisheries, and Blue Justice: Fishscapes and Alternative Worldviews, Taylor and Francis:
2. To consider (something) carefully and thoroughly.
   • [A]lthough thou beeſt blameleſs and unſpotted as to thy outvvard Life and Converſation, ſo that none can ſay, black is thine Eye, as to any groſs Sin; yet knovv, that God pondereth thy Heart, and ranſacketh every Corner of thy Soul, and obſerves the Motions of thoſe very Luſts that vvar vvithin thee, and prevail againſt thee. a. 1709 (date delivered), William Beveridge, “Sermon LXXXV. Repentance, a Certain, and the Only Method of Obtaining Pardon.”, in The Works of the Right Reverend Father in God, Dr. William Beveridge, Late Lord Bishop of St. Asaph. […], volume II, London: […] William Taylor, […], published 1720, →OCLC, page 69:
   • I have spent days pondering the meaning of life.
   • Ponder the path of thy feet. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Proverbs 4:26:
3. (obsolete) To weigh.

Forms

Deriveds

reponder · ponderable · ponderance · ponderize · beponder · unpondered

Relateds

preponderant · ponderment · pondersome · preponderance · preponder · consideration · preponderate

Synonyms

chew the cud · ponder · bethink · consider · deliberate · second-guess · think over · contemplate · revolve · mull · meditate · reflect · reconsider · mull over · cogitate · chew over · chew · chew over · agitate · mull over · muse · afterthink · introspect · rethink · call to mind · think · ruminate · quander · overthink

Translations (148)

cmn 琢磨 (to think deeply) · sv grubbla (to consider carefully) · pl zastanawiać się (to consider carefully) · mk размисли (to think deeply) · ru заду́мываться (to think deeply) · hi चिंतन करना (to consider carefully) · is íhuga (to think deeply) · hi मंथन करना (to think deeply) · sv begrunda (to think deeply) · pl zastanowić się (to consider carefully) · sh ràzmisliti (to think deeply) · ar تَفَكَّرَ (to think deeply) · sv grunna (to consider carefully) · mi taute (to think deeply) · gd cnuasaich (to consider carefully) · uk поду́мати (to think deeply) · tr düşünüp taşınmak (to think deeply) · hu fontolgat (to consider carefully) · hu mérlegel (to think deeply) · es discurrir (to think deeply) · da tænke efter (to consider carefully) · ca ponderar (to consider carefully) · sh ра̀змислити (to think deeply) · be паду́маць (to think deeply) · pl rozmyślać (to think deeply) · es ponderar (to consider carefully) · uk обміркува́ти (to consider carefully) · eo pripensi (to consider carefully) · kix thólū (to think deeply) · fi pohtia (to think deeply) · nl overwegen (to think deeply) · hu elmereng (to think deeply) · hu mereng (to think deeply) · hi विचारना (to consider carefully) · gl ponderar (to consider carefully) · be разважа́ць (to think deeply) · es sopesar (to consider carefully) · pl rozważyć (to think deeply) · it ponderare (to consider carefully) · cmn 沈思 (to think deeply) · fa-ira فِکْر کَرْدَن (to think deeply) · la pensitō (to think deeply) · sh разми́шљати (to think deeply) · he הִרְהֵר (to think deeply) · hy մտորել (to consider carefully) · uk обду́мати (to consider carefully) · pt ponderar (to think deeply) · sv fundera (to consider carefully) · uk розмірко́вувати (to think deeply) · hy մտորել (to think deeply) · mk размислува (to think deeply) · bg обми́слям (to consider carefully) · cs přemýšlet (to think deeply) · de grübeln (to think deeply) · bg обми́сля (to consider carefully) · be абду́мваць (to consider carefully) · ota طارتمق (to consider carefully) · hi सोचना (to think deeply) · ko 숙고하다 (to think deeply) · be абду́маць (to consider carefully) · ru обду́мывать (to consider carefully) · afb مخمخ (to consider carefully) · cmn 思考 (to think deeply) · be разва́жыць (to think deeply) · hu tűnődik (to think deeply) · fa-ira اَنْدیشیدَن (to think deeply) · ru заду́маться (to think deeply) · sk premýšľať (to think deeply) · la meditor (to consider carefully) · uk розміркува́ти (to think deeply) · nl overdenken (to consider carefully) · es meditar (to think deeply) · io ponderar (to think deeply) · ms merenungi (to think deeply) · cmn 思考 (to consider carefully) · pl namyślać się (to think deeply) · ta யோசி (to think deeply) · chr ᎠᏓᏅᏖᏗ (to think deeply) · ru размышля́ть (to think deeply) · gl ponderar (to think deeply) · oc pensar (to think deeply) · hu mérlegel (to consider carefully) · be абмеркава́ць (to consider carefully) · sv fundera (to think deeply) · da gruble (to think deeply) · it ponderare (to think deeply) · gd cnuasaich (to think deeply) · ar فَكَّرَ (to think deeply) · sh razmíšljati (to think deeply) · ur سوچْنا (to think deeply) · de überlegen (to consider carefully) · fr réfléchir (to think deeply) · hi चिंतन करना (to think deeply) · sl razmisliti (to think deeply) · hu elmélkedik (to think deeply) · is íhuga (to consider carefully) · fr songer (to think deeply) · hu eltűnődik (to think deeply) · la aspicio (to consider carefully) · oc perpensar (to think deeply) · la meditor (to think deeply) · sl razmišljati (to think deeply) · ca ponderar (to think deeply) · fr s'interroger (to consider carefully) · hu fontolóra vesz (to consider carefully) · ru поду́мать (to think deeply) · la expendō (to consider carefully) · uk ду́мати (to think deeply) · bg размишля́вам (to think deeply) · pl namyślić się (to think deeply) · gl parar mentes (to consider carefully) · chk ekipwichi (to think deeply) · ja 熟考する (to think deeply) · gd meòraich (to think deeply) · cmn 沉思 (to think deeply) · io konsiderar (to think deeply) · uk обду́мувати (to consider carefully) · cmn 考慮 /考虑 (to consider carefully) · hu latolgat (to consider carefully) · pt ponderar (to consider carefully) · da fundere (to think deeply) · pl dumać (to think deeply) · eo pensi (to think deeply) · bg разми́сля (to think deeply) · be абмярко́ўваць (to consider carefully) · sv grunna (to think deeply) · fi pohtia (to consider carefully) · de nachdenken (to consider carefully) · ru обду́мать (to consider carefully) · bg разми́слям (to think deeply) · sa मन्यते (to think deeply) · ru ду́мать (to think deeply) · gl parar mentes (to think deeply) · kk толғану (to think deeply) · pl rozważać (to think deeply) · mi taute (to consider carefully) · ru размы́слить (to think deeply) · nl overpeinzen (to think deeply) · gd meòraich (to consider carefully) · be ду́маць (to think deeply) · la dēlīberō (to think deeply) · es cavilar (to think deeply) · io reflektar (to think deeply) · io meditar (to think deeply) · uk обмірко́вувати (to consider carefully) · mi hurihuri (to consider carefully) · mi whakaaroaro (to think deeply) · es considerar (to think deeply)