Ruminate Meaning in English

word

US

ˈɹumɪˌneɪt

ROO-mi-nayt

UK

ɹˈuːmɪnˌeɪt

ROO-mi-nayt

Definition

To think deeply about something for a long time, often repeatedly; also, for animals like cows, to chew food again after swallowing.

Usage & Nuances

Formal or literary; common in psychology and philosophy. Most often used about deep, persistent thought, especially worrying or obsessive thinking. In animal biology, specifically refers to chewing cud. Not used for casual thinking—think 'ponder' or 'dwell on'.

• Spanish: rumiar - reflexionar profundamente
• Portuguese (BR): ruminar - refletir profundamente
• Portuguese (PT): ruminar - refletir profundamente
• Chinese (Simplified): 反复思考 - 沉思
• Chinese (Traditional): 反覆思考 - 沉思
• Hindi: चिंतन करना - चिंतित होकर सोचना
• Arabic: يفكر مليًا - يتأمل بعمق
• Bengali: গভীরভাবে চিন্তা করা - জাবর কাটা (গবাদি পশুর জন্য)
• Russian: размышлять - пережёвывать (о животных)
• Japanese: 熟考する - 反芻する（動物の場合）
• Vietnamese: ngẫm nghĩ - nhai lại (động vật)
• Korean: 곰곰이 생각하다 - 되새김질하다 (동물)
• Turkish: derin derin düşünmek - geviş getirmek (hayvanlar için)
• Urdu: غور کرنا - جگالی کرنا (جانوروں کے لئے)
• Indonesian: merenung - memamah biak (hewan)

Example Sentences

Cows ruminate after eating grass.

basic

She likes to ruminate on important decisions.

basic

I often ruminate before going to sleep.

basic

Stop ruminating about your mistakes; it's time to move on.

natural

He tends to ruminate over problems instead of solving them.

natural

After the meeting, I ruminated on everything that was said.

natural