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.
Free starter pack
Building your French vocabulary?
Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
