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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rhetorical
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, 24 Sep. 2025
Scholars and experts argue that the comparisons are not just rhetorical.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Here are some of the rhetorical highlights in their own words.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
In this case, the power was rhetorical.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Scholars and experts argue that the comparisons are not just rhetorical.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
Here are some of the rhetorical highlights in their own words.
—Ronald J. Hansen, AZCentral.com, 22 Sep. 2025
In this case, the power was rhetorical.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetorical
Adjective
-
The Dallas area was a hotbed of competitive debate, and, at first, the oratorical polish of Kuang’s teammates was intimidating.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Chicago-based like the Jacksons — the play originated at the Steppenwolf Theater Company in that city — they, too, are headed by an oratorical pastor who, in his youth, worked closely with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The bucket itself is black with a purple Spider Donut lid.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The toddler was dressed adorably for the outing, wearing a matching pink sweatshirt and leggings set covered in purple hearts.—
Kirsty Hatcher,
PEOPLE,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Encourage your self-expression in verbal and written skills.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The investigation showed the incident began as a road rage event, initially a verbal altercation, involving the occupants of a pair of vehicles, the release states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.—
Roy Scranton,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Bennett is a writer of great linguistic inventiveness; her previous books, the short-story collection Pond and the novel Checkout 19, use surprising wordplay to evoke their narrators’ unique ways of interacting with the world.—
Rhian Sasseen,
The Atlantic,
22 Oct. 2025
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Terao Tetsuya’s linguistic landscape expands at times beyond Mandarin to draw on Japanese and Taiwanese Hokkien.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And, yes, the flesh-and-bone Panthers get to run through a properly inflated tunnel, accompanied by blasts of smoke and the marching band playing the fight song.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
-
For years, Bloom was hyped as a Silicon Valley unicorn, but in 2012 the SEC charged an investment bank working with Bloom of using inflated numbers to mislead investors.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Creature survives, becomes smarter and even eloquent, and vengefully chases Frankenstein all the way to the Arctic.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Kidman was eloquent and warm, leavening her more introspective thoughts with a twinkly laugh.—
Wendell Steavenson,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rhetorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetorical. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
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