Definition of oratenext
1
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech given the opportunity, many politicians will orate at considerable length on just about any subject

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the respected anthropologist is expected to orate about her latest research findings before a packed auditorium

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 orate The Open Meeting Act prohibits directors from discussing (or orating) on matters not disclosed on the agenda, per Civil Code Section 4930(a). Kelly G. Richardson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2025 The latter went on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and orated about his marathon oration sesh last week in Congress. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 Elegantly orating about universal vastness and human connection, the Chilean/French rapper’s delivery melds poetic prose with grace. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025 Is there a historical context where the struggle has been orated by other groups? J.m. Banks, Kansas City Star, 24 Apr. 2024 At the age of 3, little Malachi Lukes was orating at his school in the style of President Barack Obama. Keith L. Alexander, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for orate
Verb
  • Verstappen was speaking during the second of three preseason F1 tests, before the championship’s first campaign with new cars that were overhauled to the greatest extent ever compared to their predecessors.
    Alex Kalinauckas, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Investigators were speaking with witnesses and reviewing security and surveillance video from the surrounding area.
    CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Today, young people are increasingly frustrated with the hypocrisy of politicians lecturing them about the virtues of voting while in practice facilitating disengagement.
    David Neil, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Those experiences deepen understanding in ways that lectures and memorization alone rarely can.
    Lisa Schade, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • And the conversations between Anna and Molly, Ella and Julia (Ella’s friend and a counterpart of Molly), as well as the stammering and declaiming when Anna talks to herself, are almost always about men.
    Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • The coalition has been canvassing the state, visiting churches, grocery stores and neighborhoods to talk to residents about the issue and gathering 3,500 signatures to present to lawmakers in hopes of inspiring legislative change.
    Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The hearing, in Manhattan federal court, comes as his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible resolution to one of two criminal cases against Mangione in Thompson’s death.
    Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • During testimony this week, Warsh sought to emphasize his independence from the White House, which was called into question after months of Trump haranguing Powell over interest rates.
    Justin Papp, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Benatia got a three-month suspension for haranguing a fourth official.
    Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
Verb
  • Specifically, the majority of debate and discourse around the CLARITY Act centers around not only the ability of stablecoin issues to provide yield and yield adjacent products, but how these institutions should be regulated.
    Sean Stein Smith, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • This lucidity not only makes his work readable but also staves off the perception that discourse about UFOs and the CIA must be riddled with conspiratorial paranoia.
    Louis Bury, ARTnews.com, 1 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Orate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/orate. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster