as in rhetoric
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
one of those fustian odes to patriotic duty that were so beloved by school teachers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in grandiloquence
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
a speech awash in old-fashioned fustian and bereft of all substance
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Recent Examples of fustian
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Noun
Freed of the architectural fustian of the Frick’s Gilded Age home, the art breathes anew, each painting in its own world rather than entwined with others as part of a decorative ensemble.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fustian
Noun
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But Herrero, of the Cuba Study Group, argued that this kind of rhetoric is better understood as electoral gamesmanship.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
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Watson and Radcliffe have consistently voiced support for transgender rights, sometimes in direct contrast to Rowling reiterating hurtful rhetoric that is tied to the TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) movement, which posits the belief that trans women are not women.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s broadside against the UN is the latest salvo in a broader rhetorical battle about the value of multilateral organizations like it compared with the bilateral partnerships and deals favored by the current US administration.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
26 Sep. 2025
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Using his encyclopedic knowledge of House rules and his deft rhetorical skills, Adams could spin any floor debate into one about the issue of slavery.—
Time,
Time,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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