belletristic

adjective

variants also belle-lettristic
Definition of belletristicnext
as in literary

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for belletristic
  1. literary
  2. declamatory
  3. bombastic
  4. scholastic
  5. pompous
  6. grandiloquent
  7. florid
  8. stilted
Adjective
  • The literary poster child for the old type of soldier was Ernest Hemingway, who, like many men of his generation, had preordained military service as a child.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Her own daughter, Hope, recently graduated and is working at a literary agency.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of literary
Adjective
  • These sound particularly good in Morgan’s mouth, with his non-actory, declamatory way of speaking.
    — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The music is stark, declamatory, and ironic in its use of gentler major-key harmonies for some of the darkest lines.
    — Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Definition of declamatory
Adjective
  • Fans have in some instances railed against commentator Alexi Lalas, a veteran analyst, player and soccer executive who has been accused of being too bombastic, and even partisan during his time on air.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 22 July 2026
  • This bombastic rhetoric echoes an inherent feeling of frustration in Russia over the failure to segregate Ukraine from the West.
    — Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
Definition of bombastic
Adjective
  • Go literal with scholastic motifs, or keep it subtle with bright colors and minimalist designs.
    — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The Union’s move is a small reversal of a decades-long trend away from scholastic sports as a soccer development tool.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of scholastic
Adjective
  • Does little Arabella care about going to another stuffy awards dinner with her pompous dad?
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 17 July 2026
  • Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Definition of pompous
Adjective
  • There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).
    — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
    — Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Definition of grandiloquent
Adjective
  • Indeed, the underwriters used some uncharacteristically florid language in lauding SpaceX’s prospects.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 July 2026
  • But there’s a savvy 2026 vibe about the way the film refuses to create florid melodrama out of quotidian crisis, and instead observes with generosity as the characters grope awkwardly toward emotional détente and mutual forgiveness.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026
Definition of florid
Adjective
  • Staffers are unfailingly warm and helpful, while never seeming stiff or stilted.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026
  • Tensions between Rian and Patrick flare when Rian drunkenly mentions a brief fling with Shiv, though the film’s clunky edit, which gives little room for the performances to breathe and play out organically within their contexts, makes these frictions feel stilted and juvenile.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026
Definition of stilted
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Belletristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/belletristic. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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