introspective

adjective

Definition of introspectivenext
as in contemplative

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of introspective Those garlands of noise suggest that this show will be geared more toward communal arena rock than introspective bedroom pop. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026 About four years after sharing her last full-length album, Dirt Femme, her first since marrying husband Charlie Twaddle in 2020, the Swedish pop star, 38, is back with an introspective new body of work, Estrus, out now. — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026 And so the writing process is very introspective and very personal. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026 Funny Little Fears, his 2025 debut, revealed a more introspective side of his songwriting. — Chiara Barzini, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for introspective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for introspective
  1. contemplative
  2. pensive
  3. meditative
  4. retrospective
  5. reflective
  6. self-reflective
  7. ruminative
  8. thoughtful
Adjective
  • Hawka envisions contemplative, quiet scenes in the countryside, with natural light and a documentary-like approach, contrasted with the noise, intense colors, and chaos of the city.
    — Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Borisov’s brainy, tender, deeply contemplative performance lends an anchoring humanity to a film that might otherwise have curdled into sourness and despair — though there’s plenty of reason for that.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of contemplative
Adjective
  • Enough with the pensive mood pieces; bring back the pie f**king!
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Reddington sat pensive, drumming his fingers on the defense table.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of pensive
Adjective
  • Zaitova fell in love with the meditative process of creating mosaics using natural stone, smalt, and glass tile.
    — Yulia Denisyuk, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Mackenzie Crook’s meditative and melancholy comedy is about a man whose life has been on pause since his girlfriend’s disappearance, leading him to use alchemy to get answers.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of meditative
Adjective
  • The Pop master is the subject of a retrospective opening this week at New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But Chee’s first-person, present-tense narration differs from most in being, in a seeming paradox, retrospective.
    — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of retrospective
Adjective
  • On the other hand, many of these works are reflective of the time they were written.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • While prefering Goldman over Morgan Stanley , Jim doesn't think the 3% drop in MS is reflective of its business performance.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of reflective
Adjective
  • Making Kansas City a destination Williams describes her comedy as self-reflective, drawing from her own experiences to tell stories audiences can connect with.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The result is a self-reflective collection of empowering pop anthems and wistful ballads that detail not only the dissolution of a relationship but a return to oneself.
    — Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of self-reflective
Adjective
  • Set on the eve of the Korean war, this ruminative story follows a midwestern family that’s fractured by a mother’s sudden disappearance.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 16 Sep. 2026
  • But the book’s ruminative watchfulness is unsuccessfully conjugated in this overly sedate play with music, which has the feel of a song cycle, though sung by the fine cast with gorgeous, lonely sorrow.
    — Brian Seibert, New Yorker, 19 June 2026
Definition of ruminative
Adjective
  • Combined with plush cushioning, these thoughtful details make Bombas socks stand out from the average pair.
    — Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Weiss, now 69, is widely viewed as a smart and thoughtful straight shooter, skilled at solving organizational problems.
    — Hilarie M. Sheets, ARTnews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thoughtful

Browse Nearby Words

introspections
introspective
introversion
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Introspective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/introspective. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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