1
as in speaking
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
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2
as in declaiming
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject
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Recent Examples of discoursing
From the whitewashing controversy to the toxic love to the daring costumes, the discourse is going to be discoursing.
—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 13 Feb. 2026
Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discoursing
Verb
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In many parts of the English-speaking world and Latin America, there’s still a big stigma about men dancing.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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The cast appeared to be in good spirits, laughing with one another at the event and speaking on a panel about their experience making the film.—
Virginia Chamlee,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Verb
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More often, though, Tallent demonstrates his characters’ precarity rather than declaiming about it.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
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How do teachers carry on teaching, lecturing, checking homework and having students prepare for assessments, and how do students enjoy the pleasures that extracurricular activities bring?—
Jerald McNair,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Pharoah, best known for being a cast member of Saturday Night Live between 2010-2016, had been talking to Fox for a while about hosting a show.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
4 May 2026
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Barack Obama liked talking to The New Yorker’s David Remnick.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Discoursing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discoursing. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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