as in conversation
talking or a talk between two or more people
Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discourse
David Williams, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Unfortunately, a marvellous premise does not a successful novel make (despite the book’s sales, the fervid discourse surrounding it, and the plans for a film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway).
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2025
The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
An unassuming industrial area on the outskirts of Newark, New Jersey, is a hub of discourse this week as one day after another, protesters clash with federal agents outside an ICE detention facility while lawmakers call for inspections and oversight.
—David Williams, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
Unfortunately, a marvellous premise does not a successful novel make (despite the book’s sales, the fervid discourse surrounding it, and the plans for a film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway).
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 29 May 2026
Verb
Cage and Hay also gave a recital in conjunction with a lecture by W. F. Way, who discoursed on the need for a yacht harbor in Santa Monica.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 21 Dec. 2025
The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
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Budget reductions at the private research institution have meant hard conversations about what and who to cut.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
-
Group conversation can be a lot for many people, and everyone’s social batteries have different capacities.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
30 May 2026
Verb
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Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 May 2026
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One can scarcely imagine Davis agreeing to a management interview with Forbes or lecturing executives about organizational leadership.—
Bill Fischer,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
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Serna and Hulst never got the chance to speak one last time.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
The person requested anonymity because they're not permitted to speak publicly about the confidential discussions.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
29 May 2026
Noun
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There have also been discussions around an investment fund for Iran that would provide billions of dollars for reconstruction once a final deal is reached.—
Tim Lister,
CNN Money,
30 May 2026
-
Still, events like the Seoul runway show demonstrate how robotics is increasingly being presented not just as an industrial technology, but as part of broader discussions about culture, design, entertainment, and daily life.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
The person sometimes tries to talk to me about my good friend.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Washington Post,
2 June 2026
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In a loss, OpenAI could face pressure to implement remedies like age-gating free ChatGPT accounts to protect kids, shutting down conversations that discuss violence and suicide, and removing features that the state says deceptively make ChatGPT feel like talking to a human.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Benatia got a three-month suspension for haranguing a fourth official.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
While American pundits wrote haranguing op-eds warning that the breaking of diplomatic precedent would prompt China to escalate war, ordinary people in Taiwan celebrated.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Inside this building, generations of artists a century apart converse about similarly distressing and awe-inducing encounters between us and our technological creations.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
19 Mar. 2026
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The two converse as if Janet is a hostage on a permanent Zoom call, always sitting in the same room, in the same clothes, talking to the same nonexistent camera.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
In the theater, poets declaimed their newest works while musicians competed on the kithara.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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