1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
fell asleep during the ponderous speech
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massive
having great weight
those ponderous pachyderms more commonly known as elephants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
lugged a ponderous movie camera all over China
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ponderous
Too often novels packed with this many ideas sacrifice emotion in favor of mounting a ponderous argument; Norlin instead writes visceral episodes that speak for themselves.
—
Joumana Khatib, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
With their colossal bodies and ponderous feet, elephants have never struck me as masters of hide-and-seek.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
The song drips with pungent blue notes, but Flack — singing over a jazz combo at a ponderous tempo — finds a way to luxuriate in the melody, bending the lyrics enough to make any fan perk up.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Yunan The Bottom Line Not without ponderous moments, but poetic and affecting.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Joumana Khatib, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2025
With their colossal bodies and ponderous feet, elephants have never struck me as masters of hide-and-seek.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
The song drips with pungent blue notes, but Flack — singing over a jazz combo at a ponderous tempo — finds a way to luxuriate in the melody, bending the lyrics enough to make any fan perk up.
—Ben Sisario, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Yunan The Bottom Line Not without ponderous moments, but poetic and affecting.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
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The Salon Clutch Structured yet theatrical, Le Salon is Jacquemus’s answer to the evening clutch—pared back, but never boring.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
10 May 2025
-
Even Jiro himself, originally thought the film would be boring, Gelb admitted.—
Kristin L. Wolfe,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2025
Adjective
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The massive undersea volcano reaches more than 3,600 feet above the seabed is located 300 miles offshore.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA Today,
17 May 2025
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But the rollout of a ban at such a massive scale has forced Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to enact informal entry processes that are already leading to backlogs.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Where the real Colin and Emma have trouble getting much further than a clumsy hug after a putt-putt date, some of the acting couples have increased their intimacy levels with breathtaking speed.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 May 2025
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Word's document comparison interface is also clumsy and confusing compared with FineReader's.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
France One of my upcoming podcast guests, Mary Alice Duff, decided to swap the hustle of life in Philadelphia for the slower pace of southern France.—
Cepee Tabibian,
CNBC,
18 May 2025
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Combs Grows Frustrated Combs was animated during Ventura’s cross-examination, appearing somewhat frustrated with the tedious, slow pace that his attorney was taking when quizzing Ventura.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
18 May 2025
Adjective
-
That means no heavy equipment and fewer dishes to clean. 2.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
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Sea to Summit Ether Light XT for $150: At just 17.3 ounces for the regular, the Ether Light XT is only marginally heavier than our top pick ultralight pad, and those extra 4 ounces get you quite a bit more cushion.—
Scott Gilbertson,
Wired News,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
There was an awkward overhead in the third game that Sinner couldn’t meet square on.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
13 May 2025
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But the timing of the Rockies’ decision was awkward.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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The Mets were three outs away from a sixth shutout in 23 games before Philadelphia scored four in the ninth off a tiring Max Kranick and Edwin Díaz.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
22 Apr. 2025
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Naturally, Raducanu’s level took a dip and the 2024 U.S Open runner-up seized the chance to let rip against a tiring opponent.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The development partnership, the Vets Collective, relied on tax credit financing, a cumbersome process that not only can add years to a project but also only funds housing.—
Doug Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
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My cumbersome climbing gear rests, along with everyone else’s, on a tarp.—
Michael Ray Taylor,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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