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

Officers spoke with Cisneros for about four minutes, repeatedly ordering her to drop the knives, according to Tisch.

— Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Bawahab, as well as community leaders and former employees, addressed the crowd with Bawahab speaking about Insight’s potential role in reopening West Suburban.

— Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of speak

Verb

First, the Huskies mixed it up with some marching band members on the practice field outside of Huskie Stadium, jumping in on a routine and exchanging fight songs, with the players chanting, clapping and pumping their fists during their version.

— Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
This fanatical regime has been chanting death to America, death to Israel, for 47 years.

— Steven Beynon, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of chant

Noun

The swaggering track, which sees the artists joining voices on the chorus, will get an official music video later today.

— Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Styles went on to play two verses and choruses of the song, originally released in 1974, and told the crowd to sing along on the first chorus.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of chorus

Noun

Official homeless counts show RV numbers plunging in this 400-square-mile expanse, but wild statistical swings and locals’ on-the-ground observations suggest serious miscounts and an illusory improvement.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Since its establishment in 2025, the border task force has conducted tens of thousands of detection and monitoring patrols and thousands of observation flights, the task force said.

— Mike Stone, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of observation

Verb

Luann patiently attempts to explain that the women don’t like being lectured to about their business affairs, only for Vicki to abruptly answer a phone call mid-conversation.

— Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Robert Pozen, who lectures at MIT Sloan School of Management and was formerly president of Fidelity Investments, has an answer to the obvious question about who inspects this.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of lecture

Verb

Kevin Winter / Getty Images Some of country music’s royalty sang her praises and were joined by a younger generation of musicians and songwriters who heralded her as an inspiration.

— Suzanne Gamboa, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
Watching all ten members sing at once is funny the way the seven dwarves all sleeping in their little beds next to each other is funny.

— Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sing

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

Bessent's remarks came as Siluanov's first in-person appearance at the summit since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 drew objections from other European leaders.

— Anniek Bao, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026
The decision follows mounting backlash over his antisemitic and anti-Asian remarks and allegations from 2019.

— Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026