cogitate
Definitions
To think deeply and carefully about something; to ponder.
深思，沉思，琢磨
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcogit (think) + -ate (verb) = 'to think.' The root is Latin cōgitāre, itself co- (thoroughly) + agitāre (to stir). So to cogitate is literally to stir your thoughts thoroughly — turning an idea over and over the way you'd agitate water. It's the pure, undecorated 'think' verb of this family.
Root cog still carries 6 more wordsUsage Guide
cogitate carries a slightly formal, bookish, often lightly playful tone — it's a fancier 'think it over.' Common pattern: cogitate on / over / about something ('let me cogitate on that'). In plain speech, ponder, mull over, or think it through are more natural; cogitate signals you're being deliberately wordy or wry.
Example Sentences
- 1.
He sat by the window for an hour, cogitating on his next move.
- 2.
Give me a day to cogitate over your proposal before I reply.
- 3.
The professor paused, cogitating, before answering the tricky question.
Synonym Comparison
- cogitate — formal/bookish, deliberate slow pondering, often lightly wry
- ponder — thoughtful weighing of something, common and neutral
- mull over — informal, to turn something over slowly in your mind
- deliberate — careful weighing, often before a group decision
- ruminate — to dwell on something repeatedly, sometimes anxiously