1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
fell asleep during the ponderous speech
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massive
having great weight
those ponderous pachyderms more commonly known as elephants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
lugged a ponderous movie camera all over China
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ponderous
This year’s popular new music has been decidedly downbeat, with ballads and ponderous country songs topping the charts, Errico said.
—
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
Yet somehow, the IQ manages to look more streamlined than ponderous.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 16 July 2025
But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
Yet somehow, the IQ manages to look more streamlined than ponderous.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 16 July 2025
But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
-
Historically, tracking demand for electricity was a boring task marked by little to no change.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Uranus has already been demanding freedom in your day-to-day, pushing you to ditch boring structures.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The Environmental Protection Agency oversaw a massive cleanup effort, for one.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
In March, a massive, violent earthquake shook Myanmar.—
Lauren Liebhaber
September 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Chris and Emilia’s conversation is suddenly interrupted by a premature explosion, which was caused by a clumsy member of a militia group called the Sons of Liberty.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Tiny, slow and clumsy — these hatchlings are an easy snack for predators.—
Diaa Hadid,
NPR,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Biden, who ended his bid for a second White House term 107 days before last year's election, has been relatively slow to move on presidential library planning compared with most of his recent predecessors.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Sep. 2025
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With Parkinson’s, doctors implant electrodes in the brain that produce electrical impulses to disrupt the abnormal signals that cause tremors, stiffness and slow movement.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Steep, rugged terrain with grass and brush is exhibited over most of the fire area with heavy fuels in flatter topography near the Teakettle Experimental Forest.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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The jump in community college enrollment shows that more people feel this type of education sets them up to find a well-paying job without going into heavy debt, officials at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College said.—
Bebe Hodges,
The Enquirer,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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After a 21-year absence from Wrigley Field that ended earlier this summer, the weekend ceremonies seemed to signal the conclusion to an awkward, ongoing saga.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
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However, nothing negates the unique way in which people from the South embrace socializing with each other, which brings us to a potentially awkward situation that arises often enough and gives grief to even the most polite Southerners.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The routine can be tiring because both are raising young children.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Since travel can be tiring, Candow doubles his dose to 20 grams to counter jet lag from international trips.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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My wooden Slazenger made hitting winners difficult in the same way that my humming Selectric made rewriting sentences cumbersome.—
Thomas Swick
September 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 2025
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Second Amendment advocates say city-by-city ordinances would be cumbersome for permit holders commuting daily between jurisdictions.—
Mia Cathell,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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