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
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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
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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
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The bond market turmoil reportedly prompted Trump’s administration to retreat from some of its more aggressive trade war rhetoric.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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In recent weeks, investor worries have eased in response to calmer rhetoric on tariffs from the White House and forecasts that the Federal Reserve rate will lower interest rates, analysts told CBS MoneyWatch.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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Trump’s rhetorical bombing raids against Fed Chair Jerome Powell could backfire spectacularly on Asia.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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There are two different models for dealing with this reality, approaches that can broadly be described as strategic and rhetorical.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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