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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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
But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Parts of the final’s first half — slow and ponderous, with full-back Malo Gusto severely inverted — explained why a portion of Chelsea’s crowd are sceptical about him.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 May 2025
And, priced at just one penny per issue, the new paper was marketed to a much larger public than mercantile sheets like the ponderous Courier and Enquirer.
—Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Parts of the final’s first half — slow and ponderous, with full-back Malo Gusto severely inverted — explained why a portion of Chelsea’s crowd are sceptical about him.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 May 2025
And, priced at just one penny per issue, the new paper was marketed to a much larger public than mercantile sheets like the ponderous Courier and Enquirer.
—Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
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Stick with boring investments to avoid big mistakes from get-rich-quick schemes.—
Jonathan I. Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Hosting every summit in a big European city would alleviate much of the pressure to re-invent the wheel every time with respect to hotels, transit, and other boring but essential logistical details.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Prior to McEntire taking the stage, as a massive red countdown clock ticked back toward showtime, a DJ played a medley of country and pop hits, turning the volume down during key phrases to let the crowd take over singing duties.—
Melonee Hurt,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The cameras alert drivers of all surrounding objects and vehicles, so parking the massive SUV is a breeze.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This is a huge bonus for a clumsy gal like myself, who often trips over air.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The scale of the problem became terrifyingly clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Japanese government struggled to respond to a nationwide crisis with clumsy digital tools.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Satellite: Available almost everywhere but can be slower and affected by weather.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
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By the looks of it, news of rock music’s slow and painful death under ever-widening pop hegemony is greatly exaggerated.—
Chris R. Morgan,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Many entry-level roles focus more on problem-solving than heavy coding, with average U.S. salaries between $65,000 and $85,000.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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In October 2004, Havering Council, the local government body for the Havering borough, issued an enforcement notice, demanding the owner stop adding waste to the site or face heavy fines.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Kyler Murray completed seven of his eight passes, with one awkward misread going for a pick: Third-year running back Bam Knight busted out on a 27-yard rush, and his backfield teammate Emari Demercado took a screen pass all the way to the house.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
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The coming weeks are the slow limp forwards that Putin wants: Tension between Trump and Zelensky first, followed by European pressure on Trump to ease off on Zelensky, followed by awkward and technical stalling over a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Superman’s meh international returns can also be understood as reflective of the worldwide audience tiring of Hollywood’s cultural diktats.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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With both sets of players tiring, the best chance of the 30-minute period would fall to substitute Salma Paralluelo, who could not divert Batlle’s cross towards goal from four yards out.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Over time, these staffs have ballooned in size, making coordination cumbersome.—
Benjamin Jensen,
The Conversation,
18 Aug. 2025
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As a result, registering an apprenticeship program is a cumbersome process requiring companies to document compliance with a litany of labor laws.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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