1
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way
The writing was overly complex and pedantic, which made it nearly impossible to understand for anyone but a specialist. The speech was thoroughly researched and well structured, but too pedantic to appeal to a general audience.
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2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest
I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pedantic
If only a pedantic stance could ease Americans’ fears that health care coverage will be out of reach for them in 2026.
—
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
The pedantic director meticulously oversaw the entire construction, from perfecting the lighting in each apartment to testing the complex drainage system that collected the fake rain.
—Nathan Smith, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2025
Instead of focusing on the defense industrial base, the upcoming national defense strategy, or preparing to face threats across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, Hegseth talked about fitness tests and haircuts, coming across as pedantic for a room of seasoned commanders, the staffer said.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Greengrass uses the scene where the bus becomes stationary as an example of conveying feelings without being pedantic.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025
The pedantic director meticulously oversaw the entire construction, from perfecting the lighting in each apartment to testing the complex drainage system that collected the fake rain.
—Nathan Smith, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2025
Instead of focusing on the defense industrial base, the upcoming national defense strategy, or preparing to face threats across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, Hegseth talked about fitness tests and haircuts, coming across as pedantic for a room of seasoned commanders, the staffer said.
—Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025
Greengrass uses the scene where the bus becomes stationary as an example of conveying feelings without being pedantic.
—Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
-
Leslie Hairston, a former City Council colleague of Preckwinkle’s whose South Side ward abutted hers, said Preckwinkle’s scholarly disposition shouldn’t be mistaken for indifference.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Specifically, the study found the PATM patients emitted more petrochemicals, organosulfur compounds, and some aldehydes (including 39 times the normal amount of toluene, a chemical found in crude oil), among other distinctions—findings published in the scholarly journal Scientific Reports in 2023.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Crank up some music and have a dance party during an otherwise boring moment.—
Margery D. Rosen,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2026
-
At this point, the UConn-dominance-is-boring crowd has had years to debate during the reigns of several incredible players.—
Chantel Jennings,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With the help of her best friend Tatum (Rose McGowan), boyfriend Billy (Skeet Ulrich), and cine-literate nerds Randy (Jamie Kennedy) and Stu (Matthew Lillard), Sidney sets out to determine who’s behind the mask.—
Declan Gallagher,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Mar. 2026
-
My grandmother, who was the only literate one in our family, would write strange musings.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But this relief rally may be tiring for now and the optimal reward seems skewed to the downside.—
Jay Woods,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Flying can be tiring, but apparently not as tiring as seeing passengers in pajamas – at least according to one airport.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Quiet reflection gains power as cerebral Mercury in your 12th House of Solitude trines jovial Jupiter in your comforting 4th house, guiding you through releasing past aches.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The cerebral left-hander started 2025 outside the top 100, one more gifted teen pushing through the crowded gateway of the men’s tour.—
Douglas Robson,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The news went wild on Twitter, with people meme-ing the hell out of the exceedingly dull headline.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
If your home is primarily filled with neutrals and feels a bit dull, try introducing a few colorful accents.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An early version of the show was first staged in Seoul in 2015, seven years before the rollout of ChatGPT and the ensuing AI doomsday alarm that platform sparked about the rise of hyper-intelligent robots.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The Manta Ray, which is known to be highly intelligent and the largest ray in the ocean, topped a popular vote two years ago to become Florida State College at Jacksonville's new mascot.—
Beth Reese Cravey,
Florida Times-Union,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
And the violent scenes aren’t grotesque or didactic — think of Miles’ muted trumpet sound reconfigured as resurrection visuals, of his ability to play and stage ballads so well that their uptempo momentum moves into territories too macabre to mute.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
If these scenes feel a bit didactic, hammering home everything from the shortage of nurses with SANE training to the dozens of regulations SANEs must follow to protect evidence, their lessons serve as a corrective for many of us who’ve absorbed decades’ worth of rape-as-entertainment.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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