verb

• 1Focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation.

  ‘I set aside time every day to write and meditate’

  More example sentences

  • ‘it was here that the monk spent much of the day reading and meditating on Scripture’
  • ‘As Howard meditated in silence, his mind cleared and his self-centered thoughts faded away.’
  • ‘Virtually anyone can meditate and focus; awareness and relaxation improve with practice.’
  • ‘The gentle spin of the wheel is supposed to concentrate the mind in order to meditate.’
  • ‘Ever since I remember, I have been praying, meditating and attending spiritual workshops.’
  • ‘In complete silence, I meditated and fought off the frightening hallucinations which often happen in the face of sensory deprivation.’
  • ‘Passengers have a right to relax, read, work in silence or simply meditate.’
  • ‘I always try to have a place to worship in my own way, even if I do nothing but meditate and rest my mind.’
  • ‘Each of them sat in place, meditating, getting their focus back.’
  • ‘He meditated and focused, like Unia taught him to.’
  • ‘I went into my own deep silence and meditated so that I could be clear and calm.’
  • ‘I usually try to meditate to clear my mind of distractions, but I hadn't had a chance.’
  • ‘When we meditate and clear our minds we are aligning the energy fields back into balance.’
  • ‘He went to therapy, read books on spirituality, meditated, and tried to go cold turkey.’
  • ‘I don't mind what religion people are, I think anyone can meditate but I think as a form of prayer it really has that special depth.’
  • ‘A natural endurance athlete, he spends a lot of time meditating, doing yoga, and simply focusing on breathing.’
  • ‘She was supposed to be meditating, and clearing her mind, but there was too much going on to do that.’
  • ‘Shoving these thoughts aside, he meditated, laboriously clearing his mind.’
  • ‘Personal practice is a period in the day that we have set aside to meditate.’
  • ‘She sunk into the part of her mind where she went when she had to meditate.’
  • ‘Often we just plop ourselves down to meditate and just let the mind take us wherever it may.’

  Synonyms

  ponder, reflect, deliberate, meditate, contemplate, muse, cogitate, ruminate, be lost in thought, be in a brown study, brood

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1meditate on/uponThink deeply about (something)
     ‘he went off to meditate on the new idea’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He meditates on history, ponders sea life, ruminates on the land-water divide, and marvels at public housing, great bridges and giant electrical plants.’
     • ‘He has chosen wisely and well, inviting us to reflect and meditate on his selections.’
     • ‘Toward that end one resolves to listen to, reflect upon, and meditate on the teachings energetically.’
     • ‘I've been meditating on the perfect holiday gift for you.’
     • ‘I suspect meditating on this idea might relieve me of some of my day-to-day anxiety derived from my high expectations of my own performance.’
     • ‘Who wants to spend their time meditating on that happy thought?’
     • ‘The next few moments were spent meditating on that verse.’
     • ‘Too much meditating on this gave me the jitters twice over.’
     • ‘I've been meditating on an image for a woodcut and this may well be it.’
     • ‘As Maria flies to her daughter's bedside, she meditates on her own life.’
     Synonyms

     contemplate, think about, consider, ponder, cogitate, muse

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2with object Plan mentally; consider.
     ‘they had suffered severely, and they began to meditate retreat’
     More example sentences

     • ‘He was standing before the security guard, watching her contemplatively, as if he was meditating the meaning of a particularly meaningful painting.’
     • ‘And yet, turning in my trap, I saw her lingering before the door, very still, and as if meditating a flight up the miry road.’