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
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Opponents argue the laws sanction discrimination and the exclusion of a vulnerable minority group and that rhetoric produced in these debates can stigmatize the transgender community.—
Sam Gringlas,
NPR,
10 May 2025
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Nuclear Talks to Resume Despite heightened rhetoric, both Washington and Tehran have agreed to continue negotiations over Iran's nuclear program.—
Amir Daftari,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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During Trump's first term, Pirro called for the jailing of FBI and Justice Department staffers, spoke on stage at a Trump campaign event, and ran rhetorical interference for him during his impeachment trials.—
David Folkenflik,
NPR,
10 May 2025
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His electoral mandate was forged in backlash to the President’s economic aggression, rhetorical slights, and apparent disregard for Canadian sovereignty.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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