Skip to content

ruminer

to ruminate

verb roo-mee-NEH Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Also means

to brood over

Usage Note

Ruminer comes from Latin ruminare, shared with English 'ruminate'. In its literal sense it describes what ruminants (cows, sheep) do when they chew cud; figuratively, it means to dwell on or obsessively replay a thought. The figurative sense is more common in everyday French — ruminer sa colère ('to brood over one's anger'). The related noun is ruminant ('ruminant').

Examples

"Il ruminait sa défaite depuis des jours."

Natural Translation

He had been brooding over his defeat for days.

Explore French by topic