ruminative vs pondering

ruminative and pondering both are adjectives.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
ruminative	No	Yes	No	No
pondering	No	Yes	No	No

As adjectives, ruminative and pondering are synonyms defined as:

Other synonyms of ruminative include brooding, broody, contemplative, meditative, musing, pensive, reflective.

ruminative (adjective)	pondering (adjective)
deeply or seriously thoughtful	deeply or seriously thoughtful