contemplate
verb /ˈkɒntəmpleɪt/
/ˈkɑːntəmpleɪt/
(rather formal)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they contemplate | /ˈkɒntəmpleɪt/ /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪt/ |
| he / she / it contemplates | /ˈkɒntəmpleɪts/ /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪts/ |
| past simple contemplated | /ˈkɒntəmpleɪtɪd/ /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪd/ |
| past participle contemplated | /ˈkɒntəmpleɪtɪd/ /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪd/ |
| -ing form contemplating | /ˈkɒntəmpleɪtɪŋ/ /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪŋ/ |
- [transitive] to think about whether you should do something, or how you should do something synonym consider, think about/of
- contemplate something You're too young to be contemplating retirement.
- contemplate doing something I have never contemplated living abroad.
- contemplate how/what, etc… He continued while she contemplated how to answer.
Extra Examples- Are you willing to contemplate retraining?
- He was very depressed and even contemplated suicide.
- She contemplated a change of direction in her life
- She was seriously contemplating moving to Mexico.
- She was seriously contemplating working abroad.
- We're contemplating the possibility of moving house.
- He's only 55, but he's already contemplating retirement.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- seriously
- even
- be prepared to
- be willing to
- cannot
- …
- too awful to contemplate
- too horrible to contemplate
- [transitive] to think carefully about and accept the possibility of something happening
- contemplate something The thought of war is too awful to contemplate.
- How could you even contemplate such an idea?
- contemplate how/what, etc… I can't contemplate what it would be like to be alone.
- contemplate that… She contemplated that things might get even worse.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- seriously
- even
- be prepared to
- be willing to
- cannot
- …
- too awful to contemplate
- too horrible to contemplate
- [transitive, intransitive] contemplate (something) (formal) to think deeply about something for a long time
- to contemplate your future
- She lay in bed, contemplating.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- seriously
- even
- be prepared to
- be willing to
- cannot
- …
- too awful to contemplate
- too horrible to contemplate
- [transitive] contemplate somebody/something (formal) to look at somebody/something in a careful way for a long time synonym stare at
- She contemplated him in silence.
- He sat there, contemplating his fingernails.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: from Latin contemplat- ‘surveyed, observed, contemplated’, from the verb contemplari, based on templum ‘place for observation’.