discourse 1 of 2

noun

ˈdi-ˌskȯrs How to pronounce discourse (audio)
Definition of discoursenext
as in conversation
talking or a talk between two or more people Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects

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discourse

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war

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2
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of discourse
Noun
Related Stories Bautista’s casting signals a possible different approach to the character of Kratos, which has been the subject of intense online discourse following the first-look image released in February. — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, degraded working conditions—see, the adjunctification discourse—make academic professionalization less and less sustainable. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Verb
The most explicitly political of the year’s major contenders is also the odds-on Best Picture front-runner, which has made OBAA discourse the season’s most inescapable topic. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026 The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place. — Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
  1. conversation
  2. lecture
  3. speak
  4. discussion
  5. talk
  6. harangue
  7. converse
  8. declaim
Noun
  • Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Part of you may want retreat, while another part feels pulled toward a trip, conversation, or bigger idea.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of conversation
Verb
  • Today, young people are increasingly frustrated with the hypocrisy of politicians lecturing them about the virtues of voting while in practice facilitating disengagement.
    — David Neil, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Those experiences deepen understanding in ways that lectures and memorization alone rarely can.
    — Lisa Schade, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lecture
Verb
  • In the Arabic-speaking pic, Barhom stars as Hichem, a customs officer on the Algerian-Tunisian border, who tries to provide a decent life for his wife Leila and little daughter Zineb.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Mays declined to speak to CNN but a friend and fellow lawyer, Richard Jaffe, passed along a statement from him.
    — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of speak
Noun
  • Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, told CNN the water cuts to his state take into account previous discussions and recommendations between the three downstream states.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Legislators have held private discussions about possible changes throughout the year.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of discussion
Verb
  • Instead of speaking only about the Beautiful Game, Eason would talk to Diomandé about his mother, who suffers from long-term health issues, and genuinely cared about the person behind the player.
    — Ben Church, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Founded in 2009, the group has bloomed into a small empire—we’re talking nearly 70 of the South’s favorite restaurants, hotels, bars, and cafes, plus another dozen or so in development—with thoughtful intention.
    — Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of talk
Verb
  • During testimony this week, Warsh sought to emphasize his independence from the White House, which was called into question after months of Trump haranguing Powell over interest rates.
    — Justin Papp, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Benatia got a three-month suspension for haranguing a fourth official.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Definition of harangue
Noun
  • In her Arizona projects, Lerner says the front is becoming an extension of how people enjoy their morning coffee, move through the day, converse with neighbors in the evening, and relax before going indoors.
    — Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • So, Toney and Ulbrich converse and decide what’s best for the defense, and more specifically within Toney’s passing-centric jurisdiction, what’s best for the secondary and back seven in coverage.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 9 July 2026
Definition of converse
Verb
  • And the conversations between Anna and Molly, Ella and Julia (Ella’s friend and a counterpart of Molly), as well as the stammering and declaiming when Anna talks to herself, are almost always about men.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
Definition of declaim

Browse Nearby Words

discouraging
discourse
discoursed
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Cite this Entry

“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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