thought bubble
Cartoon thinking cloud
A thought bubble is the cloud-shaped outline in comics and cartoons that contains a character's unspoken thoughts, distinguished from speech bubbles by its scalloped edges and smaller circles leading to the thinker's head.
The term extends to any representation of inner thoughts: A thought bubble appeared above her head in the meme.
Figuratively, being in a thought bubble means being absorbed in one's own thinking, isolated from outside input.
Mental formation
- brainstormSpontaneous idea generation
- musingReflective contemplation
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
- wonderingFeeling curiosity about something
daydream · fantasy · reverie · imagination · visualization · speculation · conception · figment
Observing one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
brooding · cogitation · consideration · self-examination · musing · soliloquy · philosophizing · inner dialogue
Outlined shape containing dialogue
- word balloonComic panel dialogue container
- dialogue boxInterface element requesting input
- captionText accompanying an image
- panelDistinct flat section
gutter · strip · manga · graphic novel · cartoonist · storyboard · frame · narration
Sudden profound insight
- realizationGrasping what's true
- aha momentSudden flash of understanding
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- clarityState of being understandable
revelation · eureka · lightbulb moment · understanding · illumination · brainwave · flash of insight · dawning
idea
Mental formation
- brainstormSpontaneous idea generation
- musingReflective contemplation
- ponderingThinking deeply about something
wondering · daydream · fantasy · reverie · imagination · visualization · speculation · conception · figment · whimsy
introspection
Observing one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- meditationFocused attention practice
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
deliberation · brooding · cogitation · consideration · self-examination · musing · soliloquy · philosophizing · inner dialogue · self-questioning
speech balloon
Outlined shape containing dialogue
- word balloonComic panel dialogue container
- dialogue boxInterface element requesting input
- captionText accompanying an image
panel · gutter · strip · manga · graphic novel · cartoonist · storyboard · frame · narration · onomatopoeia
epiphany
Sudden profound insight
- realizationGrasping what's true
- aha momentSudden flash of understanding
- breakthroughSudden important advance
clarity · revelation · eureka · lightbulb moment · understanding · illumination · brainwave · flash of insight · dawning · cognition
ellipsis
Mark indicating omitted words
- floatingStaying atop liquid
- hoveringSuspended without support
- scalloped edgeBorder of connected semicircles
puffy · halo · overhead · icon · pictogram · emoji · symbol · indicator
- comicscomic books, comic book, comic strip, comic art, comic panel
- cartoon visualsaction lines, pow, bam, zap, kapow
- thoughtsidea, ideas, thinking, notion, notions
- comic book itemscape, mask, shield, hammer, utility belt
- comic tropessecret identity, origin story, superpowers, sidekick, supervillain
- editorial cartoonseditorial cartoon, political cartoon, political satire, caricature, cartoonist
thought bubblespeech bubble
Enclosed comic dialogue
speech balloon · word balloon · spoken dialogue · dialogue box · exclamation
thought bubblespeech bubble
Enclosed comic dialogue
word balloon · dialogue · spoken word · outcry · verbal expression
thought, bubble, thinker, thoughts, thoughtful, thoughtfully, thoughtfulness, thoughtless, thoughtlessly