· to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds; "Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps"

Synonym(s): theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose

Hypernym(s): expect, anticipate

· talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion; "We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal"

Hypernym(s): reason

· reflect deeply on a subject; "I mulled over the events of the afternoon"; "philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years"; "The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate"

Synonym(s): chew_over, think_over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull_over, ruminate

Hypernym(s): think, cogitate, cerebrate

· invest at a risk; "I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating"

Synonym(s): job

Hypernym(s): invest, put, commit, place