meditate

/ˈme-də-ˌtāt/

Latin meditatus, past participle of meditari, frequentative of medēri to remedy

verb

  1. to engage in contemplation or reflection

  2. to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness

  3. to focus one's thoughts on : reflect on or ponder over

He meditated long and hard before announcing his decision.

ponder meditate muse ruminate mean to consider or examine attentively or deliberately. ponder implies a careful weighing of a problem or, often, prolonged inconclusive thinking about a matter. meditate implies a definite focusing of one's thoughts on something so as to understand it deeply.

phrasal verb

  1. to think about (something) carefully

She meditated on whether or not to return to school.