monologues

noun

variants also monologs
plural of monologue
as in lectures
a long discourse delivered by a single person His monologue on the failings of modern society continued long after everyone else had stopped listening.

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of monologues Masterfully told through letters, journals, interview transcripts and monologues, the monumental 600-page story placed me deep in the psyches of men grappling with the unceasing threat of violence. — Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2026 These monologues are interspersed with short lyrics in what initially seems to be the poet’s own voice. — Langdon Hammer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026 Some of those monologues given to me in those first four seasons are amazing writing and great opportunities to explore extreme emotions and stories and backstories and memories. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 30 Oct. 2026 There are no obvious Oscar reels here, monologues or breakdowns. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 Trip isn’t the standout role, but Keery handles the character’s exasperated monologues with panache, turning self-defense and infuriated straight-talk into acts of exhilarating sanity. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 The same dynamic explains why his appearances with Will Cain and Sean Hannity on Fox News often generate more interest than his solo political monologues. — Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Woody is prone to meandering and hippy-dippy monologues, as a weed-loving anarchist. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026 Two mysterious drifters never speak; their inner monologues carry us across absurdist one-liners, weird tales, and stream-of-consciousness musings. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 23 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for monologues
  1. speeches
  2. soliloquies
  3. sermons
Noun
  • From the first, Prikryl mixes her life story into her characters’ speeches, while the autobiographical lyrics begin to feel like dramatic monologues in disguise.
    — Langdon Hammer, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Trump and Vice President JD Vance have already made visits to the state in recent weeks, delivering speeches to supporters that touted Marshall and attacked Hamilton.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of speeches
Noun
  • Witty, bitter, flamboyant, and emotionally grounded, the dialogue swings, delightfully, between intimate exchanges and grandiloquent soliloquies, capturing the vulnerability of idealists in the face of evil.
    — Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Stylistically, this encyclopedic catch-all of genres readily segues from sermons and soliloquies to thrilling action sequences and anguished cris de coeur.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
Definition of soliloquies
Noun
  • During court proceedings, relatives and friends accused Mackenzie of indoctrinating his congregation with doomsday sermons.
    — Rael Ombuor, Washington Post, 6 Nov. 2026
  • His stump speeches are often regarded by attendees more as sermons than straight politicking.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of sermons

Browse Nearby Words

monologue
monologues
monologuist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Monologues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/monologues. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of defer

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All