muse
/mjuːz/ (bre, ipa) · [mjˈuz] /mjuːz/ (ame, ipa) · [mjˈuz] /ˈmyüz/ (ame, mw)
muse — verb
- musepresent simple I / you / we / they
- muses3rd person singular
- musing-ing form
- musedpast simple
1. to stay with an idea for some time, turning it over slowly and quietly in your m
to stay with an idea for some time, turning it over slowly and quietly in your mind
On the night bus, Kofi mused about leaving Accra for graduate school.
muse about + -ing form
After the meeting, Élise sat alone and mused on the editor's advice.
muse on + noun phrase
While folding laundry, Haruto mused over why the house felt quieter.
The priest mused aloud about what kindness demands from a neighbour.
Over coffee, Shirin mused for a while before answering the offer.
- decide
moves to a conclusion instead of staying in a thinking stage
文法句型
muse on/about/over [topic]
muse aloud about [question]
用法筆記
Usually takes on, about, or over before the subject of thought. It sounds quieter and more inward than think, and often suggests lingering reflection rather than active discussion.
常見錯誤
muse — noun
- musesingular
- musesplural
1. a person, memory, place, or imagined force that keeps giving an artist new ideas
a person, memory, place, or imagined force that keeps giving an artist new ideas and the urge to create
The songwriter calls her grandmother the muse behind every love song.
the muse behind + creative work
A walk beside the harbour became Caleb's muse for the new mural.
become somebody's muse for + work
For years, Rodrigo was the director's muse for quiet, intimate films.
The mountain village served as Lakshmi's muse during her first novel.
One small sketch became the young designer's muse for an autumn collection.
- inspiration
broader and more common; it does not always suggest a personal source
- influence
wider in meaning and not limited to artistic creation
- catalyst
focuses on causing action or change rather than artistic ideas
文法句型
be somebody's muse
serve as a muse for [artist or work]
用法筆記
Often names a person who repeatedly inspires an artist, but it can also be used for a place, memory, or object that keeps feeding new ideas. In normal modern use, it is written with a lower-case m.
常見錯誤
2. any member of the group of nine female deities in classical mythology, with each
any member of the group of nine female deities in classical mythology, with each goddess connected to a different art or field of learning
In the mural, Dewi painted each Muse with a different instrument.
each Muse + symbol
Our teacher linked Calliope, the Muse of epic poetry, to memory.
the Muse of + art
The guide pointed to a statue of a Muse above the theatre door.
At the quiz, Mark named the Muse who protected dance and song.
文法句型
the Muse of [art or field]
a statue of a Muse
用法筆記
Usually written with a capital M when you mean the mythological figure. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers to one of the divine figures from classical stories, not to an ordinary human source of inspiration.