as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 discursive
The story of Jussie Smollett had the effect of sucking one individual into a near-perfect storm of discursive tripwires.
—
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
Set entirely in Linda’s Manhattan apartment, the film recreates that afternoon and the discursive exchange between the two.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 9 July 2025
Yet in Indiana, those old-school, discursive classes are over-represented on the crudest of chopping blocks.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
-
In the past several years, Edge had filed a string of civil lawsuits with rambling, sometimes conspiratorial claims.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Kiehne was frustrated with the Joneses because the county government wouldn’t grade the dirt road up to his ranch, a rambling territory along the New Mexico border.—
Mitch Moxley,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
No wandering, no project creep.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Oct. 2025
-
For starters, this confirms once and for all that Antetokounmpo — at 30 years old, four years removed from his lone title and with two seasons left on his deal — has a wandering eye.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The system consolidates soldier communications, networking, and control tools into a single wearable unit, allowing operators to direct unmanned aerial systems, call for indirect fire, and coordinate robotic teammates, all while maintaining mobility in complex terrain.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Florida teachers are facing investigations for social media posts deemed insensitive after Charlie Kirk’s death — scrutiny that the state’s teachers union says targets even tangential or indirect comments.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The path to achieving this goal was already a digressive one, weaving together singing competitions, cloned dogs and a bald-capped Fielder breastfeeding from a giant puppet.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 May 2025
-
The tabloid reader commuting home on the No. 4 train was given the same all-access pass to his protean intellect and lyrical, digressive sentences as the Park Avenue neighbor of William F. Buckley’s reading him, fireside, in the more rarefied outlets.—
Ginia Bellafante,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share