as in to mouth (off)
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech
an arrogant scholar who never passes up an opportunity to posture and perorate on stunningly unimportant matters
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Recent Examples of perorate
As a black spiritual hums on the soundtrack, Hooded Justice perorates about the legacy of being the victim—not the complicit or recruited perpetrator—of violence:
My mama played the piano right over there.
—
Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 24 Mar. 2020
Namwali Serpell, The New York Review of Books, 24 Mar. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perorate
Verb
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Stanton, expected to speak on Saturday, was still receiving treatment after Friday’s game.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
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Ash Afanan, an analyst in LAHSA’s system and planning department who spoke in a personal capacity, said Friday staff are experiencing widespread fear following the layoff announcement.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From the whitewashing controversy to the toxic love to the daring costumes, the discourse is going to be discoursing.—
Kathleen Newman-Bremang,
Refinery29,
13 Feb. 2026
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All the while, discourse around the television series has formed a buzzy backdrop to the sale.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
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While American pundits wrote haranguing op-eds warning that the breaking of diplomatic precedent would prompt China to escalate war, ordinary people in Taiwan celebrated.—
Michelle Kuo,
The Dial,
14 Apr. 2026
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Most presidents have treated it as a chance to note their accomplishments, to harangue Congress into supporting their priorities, and to speak to the American people.—
Tom Nichols,
The Atlantic,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Perorate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perorate. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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