DISCURSIVE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

discursive

adjective

di-ˈskər-siv

Definition of discursive

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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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 discursive Real Man Adventures isn’t broken up into chapter-length sections of narrative, but rather brief, discursive essays. — Literary Hub, 12 Mar. 2026 The instructional promise of each episode was a bit, a starting point for discursive, funny, intermittently personal mini-essays that always started in Wilson’s beloved New York, but could and did make their way anywhere. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026 Knowledge itself can be both logical and discursive. — Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Jan. 2026 His palette is light, smudgy guitar textures and warm synths; his message, more gestural than discursive, is love and lust. — Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discursive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discursive

Adjective

In the podcast, conversations with guests are interspersed with rambling reflections from Von, who is open about his past issues with substance abuse.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026
Even her supporters glance askance at one another during her rambling entreaties.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of rambling

Adjective

Conversations can be indirect due to details being swept under the rug, as someone could be choosing to circle around a particular issue, rather than confronting it head-on.

— Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 19 Aug. 2026
The federal government rejected Laftagareen’s disputed indirect re-election in March.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of indirect

Adjective

As Port falls in with a group of conspirators preparing for the insurrection, the book takes on a hallucinatory, digressive quality, blurring the lines between life and death, reality and illusion.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 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

Definition of digressive

Browse Nearby Words

discriminatory

discursive

discuss

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Style

“Discursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discursive. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of discursive

adjective

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