as in rhetorical
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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as in rhetoric
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
Adjective
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Bannon’s fantasy functions as a rhetorical weapon—a way of probing how far the cult of personality can go before the rule of law pushes back.—
Dan Perry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The rhetorical battle over blame and ending the federal government shutdown is getting hotter, at least for some in Arizona’s congressional delegation.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Worthington said the rhetoric by Republicans in Pennsylvania is helpful, but limited in its effectiveness.—
Will McDuffie,
ABC News,
3 Nov. 2025
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The Iraq War exposed just how hollow our rhetoric of freedom and democracy was.—
Shadi Hamid,
Time,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Firms that had stayed disciplined during the post-pandemic liquidity rush — holding back from inflated valuations and cheap leverage — are the ones outperforming, according to Bae.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
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Stocks fell Tuesday after Wall Street sounded the alarm about a market selloff amid growing concerns over inflated tech valuations.—
Tasneem Nashrulla,
semafor.com,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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The sprawling roughly 2,000-year-old property includes ancient Roman archaeological sites, farmlands, pontifical villas and lush papal gardens, with areas for organic farming and regenerative cultivation.—
Angie Leventis Lourgos,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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