as in rhetoric
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
one of those fustian odes to patriotic duty that were so beloved by school teachers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in grandiloquence
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
a speech awash in old-fashioned fustian and bereft of all substance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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 fustian
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Noun
Freed of the architectural fustian of the Frick’s Gilded Age home, the art breathes anew, each painting in its own world rather than entwined with others as part of a decorative ensemble.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fustian
Noun
-
Trump also targeted Canada in his rhetoric, suggesting the country could become the 51st state in the U.S.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
8 July 2025
-
Concerns over antisemitic rhetoric and vandalism didn’t even tighten the race.—
Sara Forman,
New York Daily News,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
Trump and Carter are hardly the first pair of presidents to pour rhetorical oil on troubled waters, but the historical results, as with today, are mixed at best.—
Bruce Yandle,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
-
By asking Grok to use X posts as a primary source and rhetorical inspiration, xAI is sending the large language model into a toxic landscape where trolls, political propagandists, and outright racists are some of the loudest voices.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share