ponder
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- ponderer noun
- reponder verb (used without object)
- unpondered adjective
- well-pondered adjective
Etymology
Origin of ponder
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pondren, from Middle French ponderer, from Latin ponderāre “to weigh, reflect on,” derivative of pondus “weight”; akin to pendēre “to be suspended, hang” ( pend )
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.
It left me to ponder, how do you know if you’re the Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan of curling or the next great star to revolutionize the sport?
From Los Angeles Times
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his address last weekend to the Munich Security Conference, forced the West’s diplomatic elite to ponder that dependence.
“The games are going to happen so fast, it’s something we’ve definitely been pondering,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times
Tiger Woods says he has no timetable for a return to golf, but the 15-time major champion hasn't ruled out the 2026 Masters even as he ponders the over-50s Champions Tour.
From Barron's
The mandatory celibacy aside, preserving my fertility at 35 and pondering what it meant for prospective partners had clouded my usual fervor.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
