as in rambling
passing from one topic to another
the speaker's discursive style made it difficult to understand his point
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Recent Examples of discursive
His palette is light, smudgy guitar textures and warm synths; his message, more gestural than discursive, is love and lust.
—
Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
For all the revelry, there was a tough, discursive seriousness in the approach that Lang and O’Hara took to their labors in the late forties and early fifties.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The story of Jussie Smollett had the effect of sucking one individual into a near-perfect storm of discursive tripwires.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
For all the revelry, there was a tough, discursive seriousness in the approach that Lang and O’Hara took to their labors in the late forties and early fifties.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The story of Jussie Smollett had the effect of sucking one individual into a near-perfect storm of discursive tripwires.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
American leaders and commentators often portrayed international adversaries in unflattering and discursive brushstrokes.
—Time, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for discursive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive
Adjective
-
The North Carolina folk-rock band’s quiet and rambling third album exists in a cloud of dreamy contemplation.—
Jayson Greene,
Pitchfork,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Like Fox Lake mom Priscilla Marshall, 34, whose 11-year-old son was found wandering village streets last month, bloody and beaten, authorities said.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The adventurous rapper and producer take a more refined approach on a collaborative album full of wandering thoughts and odd, understated beats.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The port says the reintroduction of cruising to Philadelphia is projected to generate 2,185 direct and indirect jobs and approximately $300 million in annual economic output throughout the state.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Most, though, sprout reliably and prefer indirect light.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In return for her weird, digressive, and highly mannered manuscript, Lemann received a kill fee.—
Brandy Jensen,
New Yorker,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Like all Kashian’s work, Alter-Kashian is densely packed, and her breakneck, digressive style doesn’t leave much room to come up for air.—
Hershal Pandya,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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