reminisce

verb

Definition of reminiscenext
1
as in to remember

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ponder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word reminisce distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of reminisce are recall, recollect, remember, and remind. While all these words mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind," reminisce implies a casual often nostalgic recalling of experiences long past and gone.

old college friends like to reminisce

In what contexts can recall take the place of reminisce?

The words recall and reminisce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, recall suggests an effort to bring back to mind and often to re-create in speech.

can't recall the words of the song

Where would recollect be a reasonable alternative to reminisce?

The synonyms recollect and reminisce are sometimes interchangeable, but recollect implies a bringing back to mind what is lost or scattered.

as near as I can recollect

When can remember be used instead of reminisce?

While in some cases nearly identical to reminisce, remember implies a keeping in memory that may be effortless or unwilled.

remembers that day as though it were yesterday

When is remind a more appropriate choice than reminisce?

In some situations, the words remind and reminisce are roughly equivalent. However, remind suggests a jogging of one's memory by an association or similarity.

that reminds me of a story

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 reminisce Former colleagues Ted and Rick met up at a restaurant to drink their sorrows away — Rick, especially, hit the booze hard — and to reminisce about their client/friend. —Vlada Gelman, TVLine, 6 Apr. 2025 Green reminisced about how Acosta, a former teacher, would tell Green about a book to pique her interest in reading. —Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2025 In an interview with Rolling Stone, Kilmer’s Tombstone co-star Kurt Russell reminisced about their time on set together. —Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2025 Plenty of fellow millennials shared similar memories and reminisced about simpler times. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reminisce
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reminisce
  1. remember
  2. ponder
  3. recall
  4. ruminate
  5. recollect
  6. contemplate
  7. analyze
  8. explore
Verb
  • People remember kindness, and opportunities can come from anywhere. 5.
    — Sam Dogen, Contributor, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Just remember to order a half-size up for the best possible fit.
    — Nina Derwin, Glamour, 17 Apr. 2025
Definition of remember
Verb
  • Once the news of her pending nuptials to ex-professional snowboarder Shaun White hit, inquiring minds were quick to ponder what her bridal beauty prep and wedding makeup looks might entail.
    — Jessica Ourisman, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Exploring themes of empty consumerism, social isolation, and toxic masculinity before that phrase entered the cultural lexicon, American Psycho gives the audience a lot to ponder in addition to operating as an entertaining horror film.
    — Johnny Loftus, EW.com, 14 Apr. 2025
Definition of ponder
Verb
  • Friend recalls Read behavior, finding O'Keefe's body O'Keefe's friend, Kerry Roberts, recounted Read's behavior on the morning his body was found.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 24 Apr. 2025
  • Since victims often do not recall their PIN immediately, the attackers guide them through their mobile banking application to retrieve this sensitive information.
    — Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of recall
Verb
  • For these individuals, the mind — either slowly or immediately — transitions from ruminating the past to engaging in activities that help rebuild their life.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Apr. 2025
  • Still ruminating on Luka Dončić’s return to Dallas, where Marcus Thompson II wrote that some things in the NBA are worth more than titles.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of ruminate
Verb
  • The Roman Emperor Domitian struck a truce with the Dacians that allowed Rome to recollect its strengths until a new emperor, Trajan, was ready for war a decade later.
    — A. Wess Mitchell, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
  • The hexane dissolves the lipid components in the oil, then is evaporated off and recollected for later use.
    — Kristen Rogers, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
Definition of recollect
Verb
  • To see why, contemplate a recent Wall Street Journal headline concerning Meta.
    — John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
  • Google had contemplated deals with Android phone makers such as Samsung that would provide exclusivity for not only its search app, but also for its Gemini AI app and Chrome browser, according to a document shown at trial.
    — Jody Godoy, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
Definition of contemplate
Verb
  • The research consortium has data from tissue samples that represents a resource the field has never had—and that is yet to be fully analyzed.
    — Atul Gawande, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025
  • His internet history was equally troubling, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which analyzed screenshots of his gaming accounts that contained Nazi and Hitler references.
    — Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 20 Apr. 2025
Definition of analyze
Verb
  • This was one of the key recommendations of a report, Our Phosphorus Future: Towards Global Phosphorus Sustainability, in which over 100 scientists explored this topic in great detail.
    — Simi Thambi​, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • The Rams were high on Ferguson even as one of a few scenarios explored in the first round.
    — Jourdan Rodrigue, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Definition of explore

Browse Nearby Words

reminds
reminisce
reminisce (about)
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Cite this Entry

“Reminisce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reminisce. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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