What does "muse" mean?
Of a person: a source of inspiration.
Muse
/mjuz/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Of a person: a source of inspiration.
- Grammar: muse is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: absence of mind, absentmindedness, absorption, abstractedness.
- Useful contrasts: blocker, disregard, ignore.
- Usage evidence: "Novels? I hate novels." Oh muse, forgive her blasphemy.
How to use "muse"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "muse" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "muse" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "muse" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "muse" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "muse" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absence of mind" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "muse", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Of a person: a source of inspiration.
"Yoko Ono was John Lennon's wife, lover, and muse."
- 2 An act of musing; a period of thoughtfulness.
"still he sate long time astonished / As in great muse, ne word to creature spake."
- 3 A gap or hole in a hedge, fence, etc. through which a wild animal is accustomed to pass; a muset.
"Find a hare without a muse. (old proverb)"
- 4 One of the nine Ancient Greek deities of the arts.
"And hears the Muſes in a ring, Ay round about Joves Altar ſing."
- 5 the source of an artist's inspiration wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A poet; a bard. archaic
"My toung-tide Muſe in manners holds her ſtill, While comments of your praiſe richly compil'd, Reſerue their Character with goulden quill, And precious phraſe by all the Muſes fil’d."
- 7 in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science wordnet
Verb
- 1 To become lost in thought, to ponder. intransitive
- 2 reflect deeply on a subject wordnet
- 3 To say (something) with due consideration or thought. transitive
"For quotations using this term, see Citations:muse."
- 4 To think on; to meditate on. transitive
"Come, then, expressive Silence, muse his praise."
- 5 To wonder at. transitive
"Muse not that I thus suddenly proceed; for what I will, I will, and there an end."
Proper Noun
- 1 A city in Shan State, Myanmar.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
""Novels? I hate novels." Oh muse, forgive her blasphemy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "muse"?
Common synonyms include: absence of mind, absentmindedness, absorption, abstractedness, abstraction, afflatus.
How do you use "muse" in a sentence?
"Novels? I hate novels." Oh muse, forgive her blasphemy.
How do you pronounce "muse"?
Pronounced /mjuz/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French muse, from Latin Mūsa, from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa).
Etymology 2
From Middle English musen, from Old French muser.
Etymology 3
From French musse. See muset.
Etymology 4
From Middle English Muse, from Latin Musa, from Ancient Greek Μοῦσα (Moûsa).
Etymology 5
Borrowed from Shan မူႇၸေႊ (mùu tse᷈e).