pensive
/ˈpɛn(t).sɪv/adjective
pensive is spelled P-E-N-S-I-V-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, pensive means “Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in pensive?
| Letters | 7: P-E-N-S-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 45,363rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is pensive?
Pensive appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce pensive?
- US /ˈpɛn(t).sɪv/
Pensive has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-pensive.ogg, En-au-pensive.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with pensive?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as pensive from its last stressed vowel (/ɛnsɪv/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of pensive
- more pensive comparative
- most pensive superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does pensive mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought.
He sat in pensive silence, weighing his options carefully.
- 2
Having the appearance of deep, often melancholic, thinking.
The author’s tone grows pensive in the final chapters.
- 3
Looking thoughtful, especially from sadness.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Pensive in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pensif , chagrin, mélancolique |
| German | nachdenklich, gedankenvoll, gedankenverloren, in Gedanken versunken |
| Portuguese | pensativo |
| Spanish | pensativo, meditabundo , amohinado, melancólico |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does pensive come from?
From Middle English pensif, pensyfe, pencyve, from Old French pensif (“thoughtful”), from penser (“to think”) (from Latin pēnsō) + -if (English -ive).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).