Translation guide
The English word 'brooding' can describe a dark, thoughtful mood, the act of worrying excessively, or the literal incubation of eggs. This guide focuses on the emotional and psychological senses most relevant to learners.
He was staring out the window with a brooding expression.
Literally 'sunk in thought', this phrase emphasizes deep, often melancholic contemplation. Less menacing than 陰鬱な, more pensive.
She was gazing at the sea with a brooding look.
A more literary term for gloomy and depressed. Stronger than 陰鬱な, often used in written descriptions.
A brooding atmosphere filled the room.
To express that someone is constantly thinking about a problem in a worried, unhappy way.
To refer to a bird sitting on eggs to hatch them.
The English word 'brooding' as an adjective does not have a direct one-word Japanese equivalent. Avoid trying to use 抱卵 (incubation) for emotional contexts.
To worry and agonize over something. Slightly more formal than くよくよ考える, implies deeper distress.
He is brooding about his future.
To be lost in thought, often with a negative connotation. Can be used for brooding when the focus is on deep, troubled thinking.
He seems to be brooding about something.
The bird is brooding on its eggs in the nest.