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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of discourse
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
At its worst, discourse over the fate of Sequoiadendron giganteum is an academic fistfight.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025
Admissions officers want to see that students will contribute meaningfully to discourse on campus.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
Harry Styles is aware of the discourse around him.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2026
At its worst, discourse over the fate of Sequoiadendron giganteum is an academic fistfight.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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
Admissions officers want to see that students will contribute meaningfully to discourse on campus.
—Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
-
Messenger Mercury conjoins ambitious Mars in your 3rd House of Communication, boosting errands and sibling talks, as well as putting more focus on practical, timely conversations.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Despite the ongoing disagreements, both sides say continuing conversations is important.—
Tori Mason,
CBS News,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Resist the urge to explain, defend or lecture.—
Becky Kennedy
Sheryl Ziegler,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
-
My father founded private hospitals south of Johannesburg, and my mother lectured anatomy, presiding over dissections and preparing meat dishes at home with the same attentive care — removing sinew and fat with a dedicated set of kitchen scalpels.—
Jan Steyn,
The Dial,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Teams of attorneys for the defendants were each given 15 minutes to speak Wednesday.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 13,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Mar. 2026
-
If emotions surge, pause to write thoughts before speaking, then return with a softer tone so both sides feel heard and respected.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The weather service considered a winter storm watch with potential blizzard conditions, but held off because confidence is not high enough to expect visibility cut to a quarter mile or less with only an inch or two of snow expected, according to its forecast discussion.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Some highlights from the discussion follow.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Conservatives tried and failed to convince Thune to pursue a talking filibuster, an old-school way of blockading legislation that might eventually allow the SAVE America Act to pass at 50 votes.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Documents said that police said Michaud talked with the student about the school and the CPS investigation.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Most presidents have treated it as a chance to note their accomplishments, to harangue Congress into supporting their priorities, and to speak to the American people.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
-
After haranguing the receptionist, he was eventually granted a 15-minute audience with Fujita, who advised his teenage devotee to focus on future technologies like computers.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
24 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
In sequences interspersed in the film, Bean and Rozos converse in a kind of fort-like structure erected in a room.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
More often, though, Tallent demonstrates his characters’ precarity rather than declaiming about it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
-
Providence doesn’t give you a Latin teacher for a mother without consequence: Samy declaimed classical locutions with scandalous ease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
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