ponder

/ˈpɒndə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈpɑːndər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpän-dər/ (ame, mw)

ponder — verb

  • ponderpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • pondershe / she / it
  • ponderedpast simple
  • pondering-ing form

1. to give serious and careful thought to a problem, question, or decision, often s

1.動詞及物 / 不及物C2
釋義

to give serious and careful thought to a problem, question, or decision, often spending a noticeable length of time weighing different aspects of it

例句

Sofia sat back for a minute to ponder her next move in the game.

Mei-Lin sat on the park bench and pondered what to do about the job offer.

ponder + wh-clause (what to do)

同義詞
  • contemplate

    more neutral and common; implies looking at something from all sides without the same weighty feel

  • meditate

    suggests calm, focused inward thought, often for mental or spiritual clarity

  • muse

    implies dreamy, reflective thinking, often about the past or pleasant subjects

  • ruminate

    carries a sense of repeatedly turning something over; can suggest worry or obsession

反義詞
  • dismiss

    to reject without careful thought

  • ignore

    to pay no attention to something rather than considering it

文法句型

ponder + noun phrase

ponder + about/on/over + noun phrase

ponder + wh-clause

用法筆記

Commonly used in formal or literary contexts. With a direct object (ponder + noun phrase) it is transitive; with on, over, or about it is intransitive. The wh-clause pattern (ponder what/why/whether) is very frequent.

常見錯誤

❌I pondered about the problem for a minute before answering.
✅I thought about the problem for a minute before answering.
💡Ponder suggests deeper, more prolonged thought, not a quick consideration.
❌She pondered her lost keys.
✅She pondered where she had left her keys.
💡Ponder typically takes an abstract object (question, problem, decision), not a concrete physical object.