Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MUSE
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pronounce
MUSE:
Say it "MYOOZE."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
There's Rodin's The Thinker, sitting there musing.
That is, he's thinking deeply. He's pondering. He's cog____ing. He's rum____ing. He's in a br__n st_d_.
Could you recall all those thoughtful, dreamy, pensive terms?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
In Greek myth, the Muses are goddesses who inspire people to create art and literature.
More specifically, in some stories, there are nine Muses: one each for epic poetry, history, flutes and lyric poetry, comedy and pastoral poetry, tragedy, dance, love poetry, sacred poetry, and astronomy.
Here they are in marble, on display at the Louvre:
(Thanks for the picture, Wikipedia!)
It was these Muses who inspired the word "music." And if you call someone your muse, you mean they inspire you to be creative.
Now, as fun as that is to know, I have to tell you this: etymologists agree that the mythical Muses bear no relationship to the verb "to muse."
Weird, I know.
Still, it's very likely that our knowledge of these Muses influenced, and continues to influence, the way we use the verb "to muse." And that's why I mention the Muses.
"To muse" has its own separate backstory. It came to us through French and traces back to a Latin word meaning "snout." Apparently if you sniff around, or stick your nose in the air, then you have a thoughtful, searching, wondering expression on your face.
Hence, to muse: to be lost in thought, or to think deeply about something.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, often the intransitive kind:
"They mused about it;"
"She mused on the problem;"
"He mused to himself for a while."
Sometimes the transitive kind:
"She mused that she should travel the world;"
"'Hmm, maybe I could do that,' he mused."
Other forms:
mused, musing(s)
how to use it:
Because it's a short, common, sophisticated word, "muse" is a great choice when you need to strike a lofty, serious tone.
Talk about people musing, often on or about a topic, an idea, a problem, an option, a decision, etc.
Or, talk about people musing that something is true, that something might happen, etc.
Finally, I'm not a big fan of this, but you can use "muse" to mark dialogue. "Well, yes, maybe," she mused.
examples:
"'He's not a bad sort,' I mused after he left."
— Patrick Rothfuss, The Name of the Wind, 2007
"I've been musing on the subject of weirdness — how that quality requires freedom, or at least the belief that one possesses it."
— Mitchell S. Jackson, New York Times, 25 July 2020
has this page helped you understand "muse"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "muse" without saying "mull over" or "contemplate."
try it out:
You've probably seen at least one TV show or movie about mind-reading. Some character "hears" other people's musings, as if they were spoken aloud.
If you had this kind of telepathy, whose musings would you most enjoy hearing? Why? What kind of things do they often muse on?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Perfectly Cromulent Words!
In each issue this month, match a scene from The Simpsons to the term that it calls to mind.
To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue.
Try this one today:
Does the scene below suggest the word maudlin, gauleiter, or juggernaut?
review this word:
A. TO BORE.
B. TO DISREGARD.
C. TO DISCOURAGE.
2. Calvin and Hobbes blends childhood adventures with _____ musings.
A. stylish
B. philosophical
C. artistically shaded
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
In Greek myth, the Muses are goddesses who inspire people to create art and literature.
Part of speech:
Because it's a short, common, sophisticated word, "muse" is a great choice when you need to strike a lofty, serious tone.
"'He's not a bad sort,' I mused after he left."
Explain the meaning of "muse" without saying "mull over" or "contemplate."
You've probably seen at least one TV show or movie about mind-reading. Some character "hears" other people's musings, as if they were spoken aloud.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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