Muse

UK: 'muse', 'Muse': /ˈmjuːz/ US: /mjuz/ ,(myo̅o̅z)

Inflections of 'muse' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

muses

v 3rd person singular

musing

v pres p

mused

v past

mused

v past p

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

Muse / mjuːz/ noun

1. any of nine sister goddesses, each of whom was regarded as the protectress of a different art or science. Daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the nine are Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

muse /myuz/  v., mused, mus•ing. 

1. to think about or ponder quietly: [no object]
   He sat by the window, musing about the world.
   [used with quotations]
   "Maybe God doesn't play dice with the universe,'' he mused.

muse¹ /myuz/  n. [countable]

1. the imaginary force thought to provide inspiration to poets, writers, artists, etc.:
   waiting for the muse.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

muse  (myo̅o̅z), v., mused, mus•ing. 
v.i. 

1. to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.
2. [Archaic.] to gaze meditatively or wonderingly.

v.t. 

3. to meditate on.
4. to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

• Middle French muser, perh. ultimately derivative of Medieval Latin mūsum muzzle
• Middle English musen to mutter, gaze meditatively on, be astonished 1300–50

mus′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. cogitate, ruminate, think; dream.
• 1, 3. ponder, contemplate, deliberate.

Muse  (myo̅o̅z), n. 

1. [Class. Myth.]
   • any of a number of sister goddesses, originally given as Aoede (song), Melete (meditation), and Mneme (memory), but latterly and more commonly as the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over various arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious music), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy);
     identified by the Romans with the Camenae.
   • any goddess presiding over a particular art.
2. (sometimes l.c.) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
3. (l.c.) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.

• Greek Moûsa
• Latin Mūsa
• Middle French
• Middle English Muse 1350–1400

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

muse / mjuːz/ verb

1. when intr, often followed by on or about: to reflect (about) or ponder (on), usually in silence
2. (intransitive) to gaze thoughtfully

noun

1. a state of abstraction

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French muser, perhaps from mus snout, from Medieval Latin mūsus

muse / mjuːz/ noun

1. a person who inspires a creative artist, esp a poet

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French, from Latin Mūsa, from Greek Mousa a Muse