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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
Her Bluesky feed in the hours after Kirk’s murder was filled with inflammatory rhetoric.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Sep. 2025
-
While detailing the first in-person meeting between her and Rodríguez, Pascal spoke about the specific rhetoric that trans actors sometimes come up against, which is that trans actors should connect with trans subjects based solely on identity, rather than the many other aspects of their humanity.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Two days after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a rhetorical gap between Arizona politicos highlighted a major split for the congressional delegation, with some members turning to other matters or saying nothing at all.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken an increasingly hard rhetorical line on immigration.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
30 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share