1
as in scolds
to criticize (someone) severely or angrily especially for personal failings
the frustrated manager lectured the waitstaff about its poor level of service
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in speaks
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
a physician who has lectured before countless audiences on the importance of diet and exercise in avoiding heart disease
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of lectures
Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
When not writing, May frequently lectures on the politics and policies of mass incarceration for university classes, academic conferences, and online events.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.
—Simon Maghakyan, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Hands-on activities ground new knowledge in ways that lectures and reading often cannot.
—Emma Marcucci, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Verb
Bad teams are given mechanisms to recover, not lectures about bootstraps.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
When not writing, May frequently lectures on the politics and policies of mass incarceration for university classes, academic conferences, and online events.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
With me, my wife lectures me more than my children.
—Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Apr. 2026
The van’s speakers played a high-volume mashup of construction sounds, Jordan Peterson lectures, Marine Corps drills, and mumbling voices.
—Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Assistive listening studies report that bypassing room acoustics and delivering audio directly can improve signal‑to‑noise ratios by 15–20 dB, making announcements comprehensible and lectures clearer [8].
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Feb. 2026
Simon Maghakyan lectures on the 20th anniversary of the destruction of Djulfa in December 2025.
—Simon Maghakyan, Time, 30 Jan. 2026
In her car, Jessica Gabriel’s Lady is an avid listener of DJ Revolution, a fictional radio DJ who lectures passionately about the struggles of modern-day life in Nigeria.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 22 Jan. 2026
Hands-on activities ground new knowledge in ways that lectures and reading often cannot.
—Emma Marcucci, The Conversation, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lectures
Verb
-
Stumbling on to this ruse, Antoine’s friend and manager Armand (Gilles Lellouche) immediately can tell Suzanne is a fake and scolds her for exploiting his friend’s grief.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
Or tie scolds to the ducking stool again.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
January 20 – February 18 Friends may call, yet your muse speaks louder.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2026
-
Unlike at the Center, a solidly bipartisan roster of lecturers speaks to students at the Harvard institute.—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Speeches and sermons circulated widely, helping create a national political identity before the nation itself formally existed.—
Richard Torrenzano,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
-
During Muharram’s mourning period, Shiʿis gather in assemblies to hear preachers offer sermons, relate the life of Ḥusayn, and recount the events of the Battle of Karbala.—
Charles Preston,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
His supervisor appears as a ticket conductor and reprimands him for doing nothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Richard Gadd talks the prison scene, the meaning behind the title, and the last few minutes.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
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But Raman’s walked quite the tightrope of being a DSA’er who talks like a back-to-basics liberal while also hanging out with left-wing extremists like Hasan Piker.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Daily News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Fittingly, lessons from a northern voice can help provide a path towards understanding.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
-
Biology lessons were a shock to Matthew.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
The audit also criticizes the city for not trying to boost compliance by issuing fines.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
OpenAI memo criticizes Anthropic watch now Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As anxiety has mounted about depressed entry-level hiring, with Gen Z crowds even booing luminaries such as Eric Schmidt amid commencement speeches touting AI, Dimon has given warm but blunt advice to ambitious young workers.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
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Other presidents have used commencement speeches to announce major policy initiatives and agreements, including on foreign policy.—
Austin Sarat,
Twin Cities,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lectures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lectures. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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