pensive
gb/pˈɛnsɪv/ us/pˈɛnsɪv/
C1
English
~ 9200
elgondolkodó, merengő
C1
1
elgondolkodó
B2
merengő
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] looks/feels pensive
She grew quiet and pensive as she thought about her future.
Miközben a jövőjén gondolkodott, elcsendesedett és elgondolkodóvá vált.
He sat by the window with a pensive look on his face.
Az ablak mellett ült, arcán elgondolkodó kifejezéssel.
After the news, everyone became pensive and stopped talking.
In the photo he appears pensive, staring off into the distance.
The discussion left her pensive for the rest of the evening.
Learner examples
He looks pensive and does not say much.
Elgondolkodónak látszik, és nem mond sokat.
She became pensive after she read the letter.
Elgondolkodó lett, miután elolvasta a levelet.
The child sat in a pensive mood by the door.
I get pensive when I think about my old home.
They were quiet and pensive on the long bus ride.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "pensive" with "passive" (not taking action) or with "thoughtful" meaning "kind". "Pensive" always refers to someone who is deep in quiet, often slightly sad, thought, not to kindness or lack of action.
Meaning
quietly deep in serious thought
Collocations
pensive mood
|pensive expression
|pensive look
|pensive face
|pensive eyes
|pensive silence
Synonyms
thoughtful (Often used more generally and can also mean 'kind'; 'pensive' more strongly suggests quiet seriousness or slight sadness.)
|
reflective (Very close in meaning, but 'reflective' focuses more on careful thinking, while 'pensive' suggests a softer, more emotional tone.)
Antonyms
carefree (Describes someone not worried or serious at all, the opposite of a pensive, slightly troubled or serious mood.)
|
cheerful (Highlights a bright, happy mood instead of quiet, serious thinking.)
Themes
emotions
|mental_states
|personality
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Thinking silently and seriously, often with a little sadness.
Thinking deeply in a quiet, serious way, often with a slightly sad or worried feeling.
C1
LITERARY
2
merengő
C1
Usage pattern:
a pensive [atmosphere / song / moment]
A pensive silence fell over the room after his speech.
A beszéde után merengő csend telepedett a szobára.
The pianist chose a pensive melody to end the concert.
A zongorista egy merengő dallamot választott a koncert lezárásához.
The film opens with a pensive scene of the city at dawn.
There was a pensive atmosphere in the café as people listened to the news.
Her letter has a pensive tone, as if she is saying goodbye.
Learner examples
Soft, pensive music played in the background.
Lágy, merengő zene szólt a háttérben.
A pensive silence came after the bad news.
A rossz hír után merengő csend állt be.
The room had a pensive mood that made us quiet.
We walked home in a pensive atmosphere.
The story ends on a pensive note.
Meaning
creating a quiet, thoughtful mood
Collocations
pensive silence
|pensive melody
|pensive atmosphere
|pensive tone
|pensive scene
Synonyms
melancholy (Often sounds sadder and heavier; "pensive" suggests quieter, more thoughtful emotion rather than strong sadness.)
|
wistful (Adds a feeling of gentle longing or regret, while "pensive" focuses more on quiet serious thought.)
Antonyms
lively (Describes something energetic and full of activity, the opposite of a pensive, quiet atmosphere.)
|
cheerful (Describes a bright, happy mood instead of a subdued, thoughtful one.)
Themes
emotions
|art
|atmosphere
|arts_entertainment
Definition
Making people feel quiet and serious, and think deeply, often with a little sadness.
Describing something, such as music, a scene, or an atmosphere, that suggests or creates a quiet, serious, often slightly sad mood.
Grammar
Dictionary form
pensive
IPA
GB/pˈɛnsɪv/
US/pˈɛnsɪv/
Syllables & stress
pens - ive (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pens)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: pensive
Word family
Core family
pensively
adverb
pensiveness
noun
Expressions
in a pensive mood
1/ˈɪn ə pˈɛnsɪv mˈud/
fixed phrase
quietly serious and thinking
Feeling quiet, serious, and thinking deeply, often with a little sadness.
Examples
- She has been in a pensive mood all afternoon.
- After the meeting he was in a pensive mood and didn’t want to talk.
look pensive
1/lˈʊk pˈɛnsɪv/
fixed phrase
seem quietly deep in thought
To have a face or eyes that show you are thinking deeply and seriously, often with a little sadness.
Examples
- You look pensive—do you want to talk about it?
- He looked pensive as he waited for the test results.
pensive expression
1/pˈɛnsɪv ɪkspɹˈɛʃən/
fixed phrase
face that shows deep thought
A look on someone’s face that shows they are thinking quietly and seriously, often with a little sadness.
Examples
- She wore a pensive expression throughout the interview.
- His pensive expression made us worry that something was wrong.
pensive look
1/pˈɛnsɪv lˈʊk/
fixed phrase
a quietly thoughtful look
The way someone’s face looks when they are deep in quiet, serious thought.
Examples
- He gave me a pensive look before answering.
- There was a pensive look in her eyes as she listened.
pensive silence
1/pˈɛnsɪv sˈaɪləns/
fixed phrase
literary
quiet filled with serious thought
A deep, quiet moment when people are not talking because they are thinking seriously, often with some sadness.
Examples
- A pensive silence filled the room after she finished speaking.
- They drove home in pensive silence, each lost in thought.