Synonyms

brooding

American

[broo-ding] / ˈbru dɪŋ /

adjective

preoccupied with depressing, morbid, or painful memories or thoughts.

a brooding frame of mind.
cast in subdued light so as to convey a somewhat threatening atmosphere.

Dusk fell on the brooding hills.

Other Word Forms

broodingly adverb
nonbrooding adjective
unbrooding adjective

Etymology

Origin of brooding

First recorded in 1810–20 brooding for def. 1; 1640–50 brooding for def. 2; brood + -ing ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In the smaller role of Sal, although it has been somewhat amplified here, Mr. Moss-Bachrach, also an Emmy winner for “The Bear,” maintains an effective, brooding presence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

"Modern birds aren't 'better' at hatching eggs. Instead, birds living today and oviraptors have a very different way of incubation or, more specifically, brooding," Yang pointed out.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

Robert Duvall was a distinguished and prolific screen actor who lent a brooding intensity and grizzled authority to seven decades of American film-making.

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

Whether he was laughing, brooding or crumpling into sobs to create one of the most well-known and widely circulated meme GIFs of all time, Van Der Beek’s expressive appeal propelled him to virtually overnight superstardom.

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

“He was a brooding sort of man and very cranky,” Burnham said.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023