Thesaurus results for DISCANT

descant 1 of 2

verb

ˈdes-ˌkant

Definition of descant

as in to speak

to give a formal often extended talk on a subject an English professor who loves to descant on his beloved Shakespeare

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in to chant

to produce musical sounds with the voice the world-famous soprano descanted above the melody line

Synonyms & Similar Words

descant

2 of 2

noun

variants also discant

as in chorus

Related Words

as in observation

Related 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 descant

Noun

Bart, too idiosyncratic merely to copy the idiosyncrasies of the movie’s Christopher Lloyd, instead adds a descant of commentary atop them, sometimes seeming to extemporize a different show entirely. — Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023 For seven decades, Katz has been providing a visual descant to the work of the New York School of poets, many of whom were his friends. — Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 29 Oct. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for descant

Verb

Before Salguero-Olivares was charged, Hedgepeth’s mother, Connie Hedgepeth, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE about her hopes for the case and her daughter’s killer.

— Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 4 Aug. 2026
Customers can get free advice through our pharmacy services, or can speak to a Boots online doctor.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of speak

Verb

Charlotte Flair ran wild on the Baddies and met Jade Cargill atop the ladder as fans chanted for Chelsea.

— Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Bilal Faizi, a spokesman for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial emergency service, said the attacker struck dozens of people who were chanting antimilitant slogans and demanding peace.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of chant

Noun

Latin polyphony and motets are being sung at the Offertory and during the distribution of Holy Communion.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 June 2025
Her husband, my grandfather, was not only a composer who wrote liturgical music, motets, symphonies, and string quartets but also a beloved music teacher who believed that music was as crucial to the development of the mind as math.

— Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024

Definition of motet

Noun

Her chief of staff had drafted her remarks, using AI to draw on her previous speeches and internal performance memos.

— Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business Review, 3 Aug. 2026
Whatever storm clouds may be gathering overhead, expect mostly blue skies in the remarks of executives.

— Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026