reminisce

R1E1M3I1N1I1S1C3E1
UK, US/ˌɹɛm.əˈnɪs/

verb

To recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically.

OriginLatin reminīscēns →
UncommonScrabble 13
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbreminisce (third-person singular simple present reminisces, present participle reminiscing, simple past and past participle reminisced)

present singular third person reminisces · participle present reminiscing · participle past reminisced · past reminisced

  1. intransitiveTo recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically.

    But in the blink of an eye, you kissed me goodbye And I reminisced of a better time

    2022, Vane, “Six Feet Under”
  2. intransitiveTo talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories.

    I strive to be live 'cause I got no choice / And run my own business like my Aunt Joyce / So Pete Rock hit me, nuff respect due / When they reminisce over you, listen

    1992, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”, in Mecca and the Soul Brother
  3. IndiatransitiveTo remember fondly; to reminisce about.

    He reminisced the old Parvati who was now this Parvati.

    2006, Amitava Bhattacharya, Selected Novels of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, page 34
    2 more examples

    And now when life begins to get the best of me I reminisce these childhood memories

    1994, Iris Dement, "Childhood Memories" (on the album My Life)

    She fondly reminisced the two years before marriage when Frank served in the US Army.

    2012, Satish C. Bhatnagar, Epsilons and Deltas of Life: Everyday Stories, volume 1, page 16
nounreminisce (plural reminisces)

plural reminisces

  1. informalAn act of reminiscence.

    I met up with Alastair McQueen [former Mirror colleague] and we had a reminisce.

    2017, Alastair Campbell, Diaries Volume 6: From Blair to Brown, 2005 – 2007

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
look backremember

Origin

  1. Latinreminīscēns
  2. Englishreminisce

Back-formation from reminiscence, from Latin reminīscēns, present participle of reminīscor (“to remember”).

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 回憶 /回忆, 追憶 /追忆
  • 回憶 /回忆 (huíyì)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 追憶 /追忆 (zhuīyì)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 緬懷 /缅怀 (miǎnhuái)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 敘舊 /叙旧 (xùjiù)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 話舊 /话旧 (huàjiù)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 懷舊 /怀旧 (huáijiù)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • 追憶 /追忆 (zhuīyì)to talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Czech vzpomínat, vzpomenout
  • vzpomínatto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • vzpomenoutto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • vzpomínatto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
  • vzpomenoutto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Finnish muistella, muistella
  • muistellato recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • muistellato talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
French évoquer des réminiscences, se remémorer
  • évoquer des réminiscencesto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • se remémorerto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
German in Erinnerungen schwelgen
  • in Erinnerungen schwelgento recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
Greek αναπολώ
  • αναπολώ (anapoló)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
Hindi याद करना
  • याद करना (yād karnā)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
Hungarian felidézi a múltat, nosztalgiázik
  • felidézi a múltatto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • nosztalgiázikto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • emlékeiről mesélto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Italian rammentare, rievocare
  • rammentareto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • rievocareto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • ricordareto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • abbandonarsi ai ricordito talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Korean 추억하다
  • 추억하다 (chueokhada)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
Māori kōmanawa, maumahara
  • kōmanawato talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
  • maumaharato talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Norwegian mimre, mimre
  • mimreto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • mimreto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Polish wspominać, wspomnieć
  • wspominaćto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • wspomniećto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • powspominaćto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • wspominaćto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
  • wspomniećto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
  • powspominaćto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Russian вспомина́ть, вспо́мнить
  • вспомина́ть (vspominátʹ)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • вспо́мнить (vspómnitʹ)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • вспомина́ть (vspominátʹ)to talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
  • вспо́мнить (vspómnitʹ)to talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Scottish Gaelic cuimhnich, cuimhnich
  • cuimhnichto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • cuimhnichto talk or write about memories of the past, especially pleasant memories
Spanish rememorar, memorar (se de)
  • rememorarto recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
  • memorar (se de)to recall the past in a private moment, often fondly or nostalgically
Cite this entry
APA

reminisce. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reminisce

MLA

“reminisce.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reminisce. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reminisce,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reminisce.

Source: reminisce on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.