pensive

English

WOTD - 15 December 2009    

A pensive expression.

Etymology

From French pensif (“thoughtful”), from the verb penser (“to think”) by adding suffix -if (English -ive), from Latin pēnsō.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA: /ˈpɛn.sɪv/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

pensive (comparative more pensive, superlative most pensive)

1. Having the appearance of deep, often melancholic, thinking.
2. Looking thoughtful, especially from sadness.
   • 1748. David Hume. Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral. London: Oxford University Press, 1973. § 4.

     Abstruse thought and profound researches I prohibit, and will severely punish, by the pensive melancholy which they introduce

Derived terms

• pensively
• pensiveness

Translations

having the appearance of thinking

Catalan: pensatiu (ca) Croatian: zàmišljen (hr) Czech: zadumaný (cs) Danish: eftertænksom (da), tankefuld (da) Esperanto: pensema (eo) Estonian: mõtlik (et) Finnish: mietteliäs (fi)

French: pensif (fr) German: nachdenklich, gedankenvoll, gedankenverloren (de) Italian: pensieroso (it), contemplativo (it) Norwegian: tankefull (no), ettertenksom (no) Portuguese: pensativo (pt) m. Russian: задумчивый (ru), размышляющий (ru) Spanish: pensativo (es)

looking thoughtful or sad

Catalan: pensatiu (ca) Croatian: zàmišljen (hr) Czech: zadumaný (cs) Danish: eftertænksom (da), tungsindig (da) Finnish: mietteliäs (fi) French: pensif (fr), chagrin (fr), mélancolique (fr)

German: nachdenklich (de), gedankenverloren (de) Italian: pensieroso (it) Norwegian: tankefull (no), ettertenksom (no) Portuguese: pensativo (pt) m. Russian: печальный (ru), грустный (ru) Spanish: pensativo (es), amohinado (es), melancólico (es)

Anagrams

• vespine

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French

Adjective

pensive f.

1. Feminine singular of pensif

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Old French

Adjective

pensive f.

1. Nominative feminine singular of pensif
2. Oblique feminine singular of pensif