ponder
- To think about something carefully and for a long time before deciding.
In a sentence
- She sat by the window for an hour to ponder which college she should attend.
- The scientist pondered the strange results of his experiment for several days.
Usage note. 'Ponder' implies a slower, more deliberate kind of thinking than 'think' or 'consider'; it often suggests the matter is difficult or important.
Where it comes from
English ponder · entered English 14th c.
From Old French 'ponderer,' from Latin 'ponderare' (to weigh, consider), derived from 'pondus' (weight). It entered English in the 14th century, carrying the metaphor of mentally weighing one's thoughts.