1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
fell asleep during the ponderous speech
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ponderous
The magic of blasting down a wall of water balanced on a few pounds of Styrofoam doesn’t typically translate to the rectangular page; too many efforts feel pompous, ponderous or preening.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
-
Some people assume that longtime married couples are boring, but my husband has never bored me.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
-
Spectators perceive tennis outfits as plain, boring, rigid or limited to a specific silhouette.—
Ruth Etiesit Samuel,
Essence,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
DeBlois dials the cuteness quotient back somewhat while giving this massive animal a genuine presence.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
9 June 2025
-
While riggers hung massive lights and construction workers assembled the stage on a grueling day before Tyler Childers‘ June 2024 concert at the United Center, three young locals showed up: Cheryl, Larry and Ted.—
Steve Knopper,
Billboard,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
-
Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the retirement of highly successful Atlas and Delta launch vehicles, the transition to Vulcan has been slow and continues to impact the completion of Space Force mission objectives.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
30 May 2025
-
Here in Croatia, the pace of life is slower, especially in smaller towns.—
Abdul Rehman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Tomato plants are heavy feeders, but too much nitrogen early in the season will promote big leafy plants with few fruits.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
4 June 2025
-
This international window will be too soon to judge the new manager, but heavy expectations will be waiting around the corner for Ancelotti, and come the September and October internationals Brazil fans will expect big improvements for their side after a recent humbling by Argentina.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
From awkward silences to unresolved tensions, most of us would rather scroll, text, or disappear than risk a moment of raw, honest connection.—
Margie Warrell,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
The feelings of being sweaty, red-faced and kind of awkward is very familiar to me.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
These guys have been touring for decades, never tiring of playing the hits even while steadily putting out albums full of new material.—
Emily Palmer Heller,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
-
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle sustains this tiring play style by deploying a 10-man rotation, allowing his players to stay fresh throughout high-intensity games.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Trying to clean behind heavy, cumbersome appliances is a different story.—
Quincy Bulin,
Southern Living,
3 June 2025
-
During his first term, Trump frequently slammed environmental studies under NEPA as too cumbersome and time-consuming.—
CNN.com,
Mercury News,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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