pontificating 1 of 3

pontificating

2 of 3

noun

pontificating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pontificate
as in ranting
disapproving to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontificating
Verb
  • Last week, Fox premiered the new comedy Going Dutch, about a ranting conservative father (Denis Leary) forced to reconnect with his estranged liberal daughter (Taylor Misiak).
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
  • The Pats addressed two of their biggest needs, but instead in Tuesday’s paper there’s me, smiling in my headshot and ranting in print, a clueless dope.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
  • The show perpetuates corporate media’s retaliation against those who oppose its leftist, Marxist, Communist, socialist agenda — the ideological myth favored by superficial and supercilious showbiz types ever since All the President’s Men and Network.
    Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Arthur is … a lot too, but with a supercilious edge?
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Copy Facebook Pinterest Photo by An Rong Xu From my airplane window, the Pearl River unfurled from fogged mountains in a glossy, pale-blue ribbon, a magisterial curve of water that defined the landscape with its flow.
    Bonnie Tsui, AFAR Media, 6 May 2025
  • And currently, there is Charles Gaines’ magisterial new works, Numbers and Trees, The Tanzania Baobabs, at Hauser & Wirth West Hollywood (on view through May 31, 2025).
    Tom Teicholz, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Central Florida Stamp Club: Meetings include auctions and informative lectures.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 May 2025
  • The student-teacher bond is remembered long after the lecture has faded from memory.
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2025
Adjective
  • The only pontifical name that hasn't been used more than once is Peter, the name of the first pope, though there's no prohibition against doing so.
    Christopher Watson, ABC News, 8 May 2025
  • Gregory and Benedict are also popular pontifical names with 16 and 15 uses, respectively,while Innocent and Leo come close behind with 13 uses each.
    Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • Why James Comey's Instagram post triggered federal response Comey was leading the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election when Trump fired him in May 2017.
    Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 18 May 2025
  • Wi-Fi specifications have been optimized to minimize interference with robotic control systems without disrupting broader campus connectivity.
    Anne Gelhaus, Mercury News, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
  • For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • All have a place and [some] might fit your lifestyle better than other teaching jobs.
    Angela Andaloro, People.com, 9 May 2025
  • The Augustinian tradition is rooted in the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo.
    Sonari Glinton, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Pontificating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificating. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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