brooding

adjective

brood·​ing ˈbrü-diŋ How to pronounce brooding (audio)
1
: moodily or sullenly thoughtful or serious
a brooding genius
a brooding, embittered man
2
: darkly somber
a brooding landscape
a quiet, brooding atmosphere
brooding, violent images reminiscent of … film noir …Tracy Hopkins
broodingly adverb
a broodingly handsome actor
Gardner gazes broodingly at the camera … Kathleen Murphy

Examples of brooding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The foil to Sonic’s childlike, happy-go-lucky character, Shadow is dark, brooding and up to no good. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 20 Dec. 2024 Below, Murphy discusses his brooding, internalized character, why a scene with Watson is one of his all-time favorites, the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie, and more. Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 17 Dec. 2024 Their romances tend to be defined by toxic masculinity, indulging in fantasies of brooding, and sometimes violent men being drawn to unassuming, often overlooked women. Josh Bell, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024 There's what's timelessly now and what's fearlessly next — Dean's most brooding, heaviest and loudest songs represent the latter. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 27 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brooding 

Word History

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brooding was in 1818

Dictionary Entries Near brooding

Cite this Entry

“Brooding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brooding. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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