Pensive

Pensive
Pensive Pen"sive, a. [F. pensif, fr. penser to think, fr. L. pensare to weigh, ponder, consider, v. intens. fr. pendere to weigh. See {Pension}, {Poise}.] 1. Thoughtful, sober, or sad; employed in serious reflection; given to, or favorable to, earnest or melancholy musing. [1913 Webster]

The pensive secrecy of desert cell. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Anxious cares the pensive nymph oppressed. --Pope. [1913 Webster]

2. Expressing or suggesting thoughtfulness with sadness; as, pensive numbers. --Prior. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • pensive — [pen′siv] adj. [ME pensif < OFr < penser, to think, reflect < L pensare, to weigh, consider, freq. of pendere, to ponder, weigh, hang: see PENDANT] 1. thinking deeply or seriously, often of sad or melancholy things 2. expressing deep… …   English World dictionary

  • pensive — mid 14c., from O.Fr. pensif (11c., fem. pensive), from penser to think, from L. pensare weigh, consider, frequentative of pendere weigh (see PENDANT (Cf. pendant)) …   Etymology dictionary

  • pensive — I adjective absorbed, abstracted, attentive, calculating, concentrating, contemplative, deliberative, dreaming, dreamy, engrossed, full of thought, given to thought, in cogitatione defixus, introspective, meditative, museful, musing, obsessed,… …   Law dictionary

  • pensive — *thoughtful, reflective, speculative, contemplative, meditative Analogous words: solemn, somber, *serious, earnest, sober, grave: musing, pondering, ruminating (see PONDER) …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • pensive — [adj] meditative, solemn absorbed, abstracted, attentive, cogitative, contemplative, dreamy, grave, musing, pondering, preoccupied, reflecting, reflective, ruminating, ruminative, serious, sober, speculative, thinking, thoughtful, wistful,… …   New thesaurus

  • pensive — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ engaged in deep thought. DERIVATIVES pensively adverb pensiveness noun. ORIGIN Old French pensif, from Latin pensare ponder …   English terms dictionary

  • Pensive — This article is about the racehorse Pensive. For the magical item in the Harry Potter stories see Pensieve . For the word, see .Thoroughbred racehorse infobox horsename = Pensive caption = sire = Hyperion grandsire = Gainsborough dam = Penicuik… …   Wikipedia

  • pensive — pensively, adv. pensiveness, n. /pen siv/, adj. 1. dreamily or wistfully thoughtful: a pensive mood. 2. expressing or revealing thoughtfulness, usually marked by some sadness: a pensive adagio. [1325 75; < F (fem.); r. ME pensif < MF (masc.),… …   Universalium

  • pensive — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) adj. thoughtful, reflective, meditative, musing; melancholy, sad, dejected. See thought, dejection. II (Roget s IV) modif. Syn. ruminating, meditative, contemplative, reflective, thoughtful, ruminative,… …   English dictionary for students

  • pensive — pen•sive [[t]ˈpɛn sɪv[/t]] adj. 1) dreamily or wistfully thoughtful 2) expressing thoughtfulness or sadness • Etymology: 1325–75; ME pensif < MF, der. of penser to think < L pēnsāre to weigh, consider, der. of pendere. See pension, ive… …   From formal English to slang

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