Definition of descantnext
1
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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2
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

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
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
Noun
  • But a growing chorus of patients, clinicians, and advocacy organizations are sounding the alarm that the agency is failing to use this regulatory flexibility.
    O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 31 July 2026
  • Now her uncle Gary Goldsmith is publicly joining in the chorus.
    Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Noun
  • There will also be multicultural food vendors, an international marketplace, community art projects, drum circles, youth soccer, interactive art activities and family programming designed to encourage participation rather than simply observation.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 31 July 2026
  • This proactive approach, combining data analysis with direct observation and long-term vision, positions them for superior returns.
    James Nelson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • Khimasia is an independent curator who currently lectures at Rutgers University.
    News Desk, Artforum, 27 July 2026
  • Fauci stepped down from his NIAID post at the end of 2022 and segued to a lecturing job at Georgetown.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 July 2026
Verb
  • Every room has its little balcony and looks out over the blue sea to the islands of the sirens from which those ladies sang so sweetly.
    Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 4 Aug. 2026
  • As the first medication was administered, Constance began to sing.
    Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
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
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

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Cite this Entry

“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descant. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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