Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RUMINATE
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pronounce
RUMINATE:
Say it "ROOM uh nate."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
If you're ruminating on something, you're thinking about it again and again, chewing on it for a long time.
And if you absolutely cannot let it go--if you chew on it until it turns into a liquid, so to speak--you're not just ruminating but fle_____izing.
Can you recall that bizarre word? It's based on the last name of a famous enthusiast for healthy eating.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Here's an impala ruminating: chewing its food, swallowing it, then bringing it back up to chew it some more. With thanks to Wikipedia:
You'll see why we took the word "ruminate" from a Latin one with the same meanings: both "to chew the cud" and "to think for a long time."
Since you and I aren't ruminants (animals that literally ruminate, like impalas, goats, cows, sheep, etc.), we'll focus on the figurative meaning.
To ruminate, or to ruminate on something, is to think about it for a long time, as if you're chewing it over and over with your mind.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, the intransitive kind: "She spent the afternoon ruminating;" "He'll ruminate on it for a while."
Other forms:
Ruminated, ruminating, rumination(s), ruminative, ruminator(s).
how to use it:
Compared to serious synonyms like "muse," "reflect," "ponder," "meditate," "contemplate," and "deliberate," our word "ruminate" is a little more playful: it's the only one that calls to mind a cow slowly chewing and chewing.
When they chew, do you think cows look thoughtful and tranquil--or do they look dumb? It goes either way. So, "ruminate" can take on a positive or negative tone: "He ruminated, giving the matter the time and consideration it deserved." "He ruminated, obsessing over her comment without understanding it in the least."
Talk about people ruminating on, over, or about something--or just plain ruminating. "An essay test leaves no time to ruminate, so slap your thesis together and start scribbling."
examples:
"No, it is not a mall. It’s a performance piece ruminating on the corporate takeover of nature and society."
— Amanda Hess, New York Times, 27 December 2019
"It’s not that it's an inherently bad thing to think about what you want, what you think of yourself and what makes you happy, but there is having an interior life and there is rumination – and rumination is mostly only going to drive you to despair... Find a way to stop ruminating, to think outside ourselves."
— Bridie Jabour, The Guardian, 30 December 2019
has this page helped you understand "ruminate"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "ruminate" without saying "chew on" or "contemplate."
try it out:
A writer for the Washington Post noted, "While scrolling through comments about his music on Instagram and iTunes, as human nature demands, [Jordan Davis] will find himself ruminating on any small criticism."
In your own experience, is that true? Do you ruminate on the criticism you get? Why or why not?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
I couldn't nail down how old this phrase is or where it came from exactly, but its birth can't be further back than 1816, the year the first theatrical spotlight was invented. I suspect that "stealing the show" is much older!
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. VAPID (dull and boring).
B. VIRULENT (mean or poisonous).
C. VACUOUS (empty of any thought).
2. Rumination can make you _____. So if it isn't yielding a solution, try _____.
A. seem too aggressive .. phrasing your demands as requests
B. pick fights and butt heads .. tackling the problem solo, preferably after a break
C. muck around in the details .. praying or journaling, which helps you focus on main points
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
If you're ruminating on something, you're thinking about it again and again, chewing on it for a long time.
Here's an impala ruminating: chewing its food, swallowing it, then bringing it back up to chew it some more. With thanks to Wikipedia:
Part of speech:
Compared to serious synonyms like "muse," "reflect," "ponder," "meditate," "contemplate," and "deliberate," our word "ruminate" is a little more playful: it's the only one that calls to mind a cow slowly chewing and chewing.
"No, it is not a mall. It’s a performance piece ruminating on the corporate takeover of nature and society."
Explain the meaning of "ruminate" without saying "chew on" or "contemplate."
A writer for the Washington Post noted, "While scrolling through comments about his music on Instagram and iTunes, as human nature demands, [Jordan Davis] will find himself ruminating on any small criticism."
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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