Synonyms of rhetorical

rhetorical

adjective

variants also rhetoric

1

as in oratorical

marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases

you can skip over the rhetorical passages and still get the gist of the essay

Synonyms & Similar Words

• oratorical
• pontifical
• inflated
• ornate
• gaseous
• bombastic
• grandiloquent
• fustian
• elevated
• gassy
• flatulent
• windy
• orotund
• grandiose
• pretentious
• turgid
• pompous
• flowery
• hifalutin
• florid
• high-sounding
• lofty
• stilted
• wordy
• high-flown
• bloated
• verbose
• highfalutin
• tumid
• overdone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eloquent
• direct
• unrhetorical
• simple
• matter-of-fact
• plain
• straightforward
• stark
• unadorned
• well-spoken
• unaffected
• unpretentious
• bald
• plainspoken

2

as in purple

full of fine words and fancy expressions

the new governor delivered a long rhetorical speech about our state's bright future but laid out no specific programs for ensuring it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• purple
• grandiloquent
• eloquent
• hifalutin
• flowery
• high-sounding
• ornate
• florid
• high-flown
• highfalutin
• aureate
• grandiose
• excessive
• pretentious
• inflated
• pompous
• bombastic
• magnific
• boastful
• flattering
• stilted
• fulsome
• bloated
• fancy-pants
• bookish
• affected
• lofty
• learned
• inkhorn
• elevated

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prosaic
• direct
• simple
• plain
• matter-of-fact
• unpoetic
• spare
• lean
• straightforward
• stark
• unadorned
• natural
• bald
• unaffected
• plainspoken
• unpretentious

3

as in verbal

of or relating to words or language

the next war that those two nations fight won't be rhetorical—it will be with bombs and bullets

Synonyms & Similar Words

• verbal
• linguistic
• communicative
• linguistical
• lexical
• wordy
• vocabular
• conversational

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonverbal
• nonlinguistic
• nonlexical