rumination

Turning thoughts over

Rumination is the act of turning something over repeatedly—whether food or thought.

In digestion, it's the process by which cows and other ruminants regurgitate and rechew their food.

In psychology, rumination describes dwelling on the same thoughts obsessively, usually negative ones: Her rumination about the breakup kept her awake.

The word suggests a slow, circular process that may or may not lead anywhere productive.

philosophical

pondering

Thinking deeply about something

musingReflective contemplation
reflectionReturned light or thought
cogitationCareful, prolonged consideration

deliberation · consideration · thoughtfulness · speculation · philosophizing · meditation · questioning · reasoning · analysis · examination

obsessive

overthinking

Dwelling excessively on thoughts

broodingAnxiously dwelling on something
dwellingPlace of residence
fixationPersistent mental attachment

looping · rehashing · perseveration · cycling · stewing · preoccupation · spiraling · worry · anxiety · fretting

cud

chewing

Crushing food orally

regurgitateExpel swallowed matter
bovineOf the cattle family
herbivorePlant-only consumer

cow · buffalo · bison · reticulum · abomasum · masticate · bolus · grazing · pasture · forage

introspection

self-reflection

Examining one's own mind

contemplationSustained reflective attention
self-examinationScrutiny of one's thoughts
self-awarenessInsight into one's psyche

self-analysis · self-questioning · self-inquiry · self-observation · self-scrutiny · self-discovery · self-perception · mindfulness · meditation · journaling

rumination

pondering

overthinking

chewing

self-reflection

rumination

Opposites

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