Margaret Mead Said:

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Wise words, Ms. Mead.

Thoughtful: Considerate or Pensive?

If context doesn’t provide the answer, perhaps you need a better word than thoughtful. Or if your work in progress contains too many thoughtfuls, you might want to replace a few.

Are you looking for help? Read on …

Adjectives & Adjective Phrases

The following synonyms might serve your purposes. Watch for connotations, though. Supportive and accepting, for example, imply different levels of (and reasons for) thoughtfulness.

thoughtful: considerate

A to E
accepting, accommodating, altruistic, amiable, appreciative, assiduous, attentive, benignant, big-hearted, caring, charitable, chivalrous, compassionate, complaisant, congenial, considerate, cooperative, courteous, diplomatic, discreet, empathetic

F to O
fair, forbearing, free-handed, friendly, generous, genial, giving, gracious, helpful, hospitable, humane, humanitarian, insightful, intuitive, judicious, kind, kindhearted, kindly, lenient, long-suffering, magnanimous, mindful, neighborly, obliging, open-handed

P to W
patient, perceptive, philanthropic, polite, public-spirited, self-effacing, selfless, self-sacrificing, sensitive, solicitous, staunch, supportive, sympathetic, tactful, tolerant, understanding, unselfish, unstinting, warmhearted, willing to help

thoughtful: pensive

A to D
absent-minded, absorbed, agonized, awestruck, brooding, captivated, cogitative, consumed, contemplative, day-dreaming, deep in thought, deliberative, distant, dreaming

E to M
enchanted, engaged, engrossed, enthralled, fascinated, fixated, gripped, haunted, immersed, in a world of one’s own, inattentive, interested, intrigued, introspective, inward-looking, lost in thought, meditative, melancholic, mesmerized, mulling over, musing

O to W
obsessed, philosophical, pondering, preoccupied, quiet, rapt, reflective, riveted, ruminative, self-absorbed, self-examining, serious, solipsistic, soul-searching, spellbound, titillated, transfixed, wistful, wrapped up

Emotion Beats and Physical Manifestations

Although previous sections provide more than 100 synonyms for thoughtful, you can find other ways to present a thoughtful character.

As a first step, pick an appropriate adjective or adjective phrase, apply it to yourself, and act as though you’re [insert word/words]. Pretend you’re a method actor. It might be helpful to create a fictional situation to which you must react. How is your body positioned? Where are your eyebrows? Are you rolling your eyes? Smiling?

If you need help, type your chosen adjective into the search bar at YouTube followed by body language, and review the results.

Let’s Consider the First Meaning: Considerate

An accepting, accommodating, or patient character might:

• shrug while thinking about current circumstances
• allow something to happen, even though they have reservations
• purse their lips before smiling and agreeing with a plan
• frown but go along with whatever is happening

An altruistic, charitable, or philanthropic protagonist could:

• talk to homeless people on the street and offer them gift cards for meals at McDonald’s
• donate time and/or money to charitable organizations
• volunteer to work shifts at a thrift shop
• foster pets from a local animal shelter

A chivalrous, courteous, or polite person might perhaps:

• open doors for elderly people
• help overburdened shoppers take packages to their vehicle
• stick up for someone being harassed by bullies
• offer to share an umbrella with a stranger caught in a rainstorm

All of the suggested situations show thoughtfulness. You, the writer, decide on the degree of thoughtfulness and work it into your plot. Sometimes a single word or phrase will spark ideas for new directions in your narrative.

And Now a Look at the Second Meaning: Pensive

An absorbed, contemplative, or preoccupied person might:

• show minimal reaction to surroundings — such as ignoring questions, doorbells, or unusual noises
• overfill a coffee cup or wine glass
• walk into other people, a garbage receptacle, or a wall while texting
• forget an appointment

A brooding, haunted, or obsessed protagonist could:

• experience problems with insomnia
• spend an inordinate amount of time researching conspiracy theories
• get fired from their job because of spending too many hours daydreaming instead of working
• stalk another character

Someone who is awestruck, fascinated, or spellbound by another person might:

• daydream about them
• try to find them on social media, and then hesitate to make contact
• send anonymous emails and/or letters to the target of their fantasies
• wear similar clothing, buy the same vehicle, or _____

Omar Khayyam:

“The thoughtful soul to solitude retires.”

Omar, born in 1048, recognized the value of solitude. Perhaps writers should be thoughtful of themselves and sometimes seek seclusion?