as in teacher
disapproving
a person who annoys other people by correcting small errors and giving too much attention to minor details
They found the professor to be a dull pedant more concerned with the intricacies of punctuation than the craft of writing.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pedant
True, big global history is not for pedants and must be selective to remain accessible.
—
Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
This Jet Ski Is Not a Jet Ski Incidentally, for the pedants out there (WIRED salutes you), technically this is not a jet ski, but a personal watercraft, or PWC.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
View More As knowledge of Greek has become more exotic—the mark of pedants, nerds, and graduates of expensive schools—capturing the barbarism of ancient Greek, and of the ancient Greeks themselves, has become harder.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2023
Want to annoy an investing pedant?
—Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2023
In a one-off release, Tiffany & Co. has transformed a CryptoPunks NFT (#3167) into a rose gold-and-enamel pedant for its owner, the brand’s vice president Alexandre Arnault.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2022
The highest-energy moment comes when Rob Brydon and David Mitchell have a pedant off about Jeremy Clarkson’s firing.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2022
WoodAllGood’s galaxy pedant is perfect for the person in your life who loves a necklace with a bit of shimmer and glow—and one that happens to reflect the stars and colors of the night sky.
—Fortune, 18 Nov. 2021
While its sister show Jeopardy is better known as a pedant's paradise (misspeaking or misspelling has long been known to sink contestants), every now and then Wheel of Fortune gets in on the action.
—Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021
Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022
This Jet Ski Is Not a Jet Ski Incidentally, for the pedants out there (WIRED salutes you), technically this is not a jet ski, but a personal watercraft, or PWC.
—WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023
View More As knowledge of Greek has become more exotic—the mark of pedants, nerds, and graduates of expensive schools—capturing the barbarism of ancient Greek, and of the ancient Greeks themselves, has become harder.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2023
Want to annoy an investing pedant?
—Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2023
In a one-off release, Tiffany & Co. has transformed a CryptoPunks NFT (#3167) into a rose gold-and-enamel pedant for its owner, the brand’s vice president Alexandre Arnault.
—Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2022
The highest-energy moment comes when Rob Brydon and David Mitchell have a pedant off about Jeremy Clarkson’s firing.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2022
WoodAllGood’s galaxy pedant is perfect for the person in your life who loves a necklace with a bit of shimmer and glow—and one that happens to reflect the stars and colors of the night sky.
—Fortune, 18 Nov. 2021
While its sister show Jeopardy is better known as a pedant's paradise (misspeaking or misspelling has long been known to sink contestants), every now and then Wheel of Fortune gets in on the action.
—Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedant
Noun
-
Hardin, 56, was in prison serving a decadeslong sentence for the 2017 murder of water department employee James Appleton in Gateway, Arkansas, and the 1997 rape of a school teacher in nearby Rogers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
8 June 2025
-
To that end, the Institute sends teachers into public schools across the state.—
John Burnett,
NPR,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
These aren’t the kinds of problems a self-reliant horse-riding instructor typically has to concern herself with.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
7 June 2025
-
The wet lease includes a pilot available to run the sub on demand, although those who prefer to keep their hands on the wheel can gain certification at the company’s training center in Curacao or have an instructor come to them for onboard lessons.—
J. George Gorant,
Robb Report,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pedant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedant. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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