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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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There’s a familiar rhetorical pattern to retirement announcements by most members of Congress.—
David Mark,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Its strength lies in the creation of characters who, although sometimes forced to function stiffly as rhetorical mouthpieces, seem genuinely conflicted and caught off guard by the brutal interventions of history.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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By this token, the politician who steals scraps of another’s rhetoric (even if the actual stealing is performed by speechwriters) is derided as if he had been found watching pornography.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
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What is needed now, Fingerhut added, is a stronger, more coordinated pushback before rhetoric escalates into violence.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The straight-A students, in other words, likely have parents with straight-A portfolios, but both end up with B- or even C-level experiences in this inflated economy.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
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Introduced in season 4 and continuing through the final fifth season, Vince is a naturally gifted athlete who struggles with an inflated ego when colleges start recruiting him.—
Ken Simmons,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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