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
Not to get too pedantic about it, but her latest look presents a wonderful learning opportunity for those of us looking to ace the art of dressing for this suffocating heat.
—
Sam Reed, Glamour, 24 June 2025
In Strauss’s opinion, Oppenheimer’s increasing concerns about nuclear proliferation and radioactive wastes were pedantic, alarmist.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
None of this is pedantic, nor is it puffed up with moral outrage.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Newsweek Sports quoted Bruckheimer's statements, highlighting Hamilton's pedantic approach while filming.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Sam Reed, Glamour, 24 June 2025
In Strauss’s opinion, Oppenheimer’s increasing concerns about nuclear proliferation and radioactive wastes were pedantic, alarmist.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
None of this is pedantic, nor is it puffed up with moral outrage.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Newsweek Sports quoted Bruckheimer's statements, highlighting Hamilton's pedantic approach while filming.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
-
Check back on the second Monday of every month for a new puzzle built on clues connected to scholarly articles available via JSTOR.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Oct. 2025
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Rarely does a 29-page scholarly paper merit the attention of top-level executives, but every business leader should be familiar with a recent study from OpenAI.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who suggests Guardiola’s title-winning Manchester City teams were boring should be forced to watch 90 minutes of Mourinho’s Chelsea versus Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool in the mid-2000s and report back.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
The details might be boring, but the gathering of money—searching gem dealers, gold dealers—was a full-time job.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The long-term implication is a more resilient, mentally literate workforce, but the high underlying prevalence (37 percent with moderate/severe depression) means sustained institutional investment is crucial.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
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Financially literate people tend to build more wealth, live happier lives and even have better health outcomes.—
Kelsey Neubauer,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
With the departure of disgraced co-creator Justin Roiland after the third season, the show has been steadily improving in quality, with a tremendous cast and some very funny done-in-one episodes that don't have the sometimes tiring cynicism of R&M.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
10 Oct. 2025
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However, some Republicans have spoken out against her and recently reported that some administration officials are tiring of her, suggesting her influence is not unbridled.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The latest entry, 2023's Galactic Civilizations IV, has the most sophisticated AI of the lot, making your allies and enemies feel more real, and more intelligent.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
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That kind of emotionally intelligent way of working was not seen as one of the old Victoria’s Secret’s strong points.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Reeves delivers on all phases of his character arc, making a potentially dull and earnest character soar.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Oct. 2025
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The text is excitable and wayward, while many of the photographs are dramatically dull.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The challenge is to become as skilled and cerebral as possible, preferably while the elite athleticism is still present.—
Tony Jones,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
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The artist needs no cerebral middleman to move the motif from the world to the page.—
Harmon Siegel,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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It was considered immoral to lie and the whole point of writing things down back then was to increase morality and improve society, so there really is no didactic history of forgery.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
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Adapted from his own novel Cabal, Barker brings so much creativity and personality to this story that could easily have become a more didactic sermon about otherness.—
Samantha Allen,
Them.,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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