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

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as in observation

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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

After the game, manager Hinch spoke about planning the special moment ahead of Verlander’s official retirement with the help of Upton.

— Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 27 Sep. 2026
If your flight is impacted, speak to a customer service agent at the airport and Hopper recommends reaching out to the airline through their app or by giving them a call at the same time as well.

— Ayesha Ali, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of speak

Verb

In fact, until the end, the fans treated it like a typical late-season Sun game from years past, when the franchise was a perennial playoff contender, cheering, chanting, getting after the refs at all the right moments.

— Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
But outside the hall, several thousand protesters chanted that he should be arrested for being a terrorist.

— Eric Shawn, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of chant

Noun

The new threat assessment joins a chorus of Russia warnings from top European security officials and lawmakers in recent days.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
In the poppy, jingly track, Ahlers sings the chorus with a sparkling falsetto and the verses in a lower chest voice.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of chorus

Noun

But Cathy isn’t a villain, even if her voiceover begins with an observation about monsters being born to human parents.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2026
Taken on July 24, during a particularly large influx of solar particles into the atmosphere, the observations reveal the full extent of the northern lights in UV light.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of observation

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

Tarek Mueller, managing director at About You, the German online fashion retailer that Zalando acquired in July 2025, asked in his opening remarks.

— Cathrin Schaer, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2026
But still, this felt different — as Gray himself noted in his moving introductory remarks, reflecting on growing up a few miles away from the Upper West Side.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of remark

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“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descant. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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noun

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