Synonyms of rhetoric

rhetoric

noun

ˈre-tə-rik 

1

as in wind

language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere

the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wind
• nonsense
• gas
• jazz
• oratory
• bombast
• fustian
• grandiloquence
• verbiage
• hot air
• pretension
• claptrap
• hogwash
• gibberish
• drivel
• grandiosity
• pomposity
• loftiness
• verbosity
• jabberwocky
• humbug
• wordiness
• garrulity
• moonshine
• garrulousness
• pretentiousness
• floweriness
• verboseness
• affectedness
• windiness

2

as in poetry

the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way

great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill

Synonyms & Similar Words

• poetry
• articulateness
• eloquence
• expressiveness
• expression
• emotion
• power
• articulacy
• gift of gab
• persuasiveness
• oratory
• declamation
• persuasion
• elocution
• intensity
• fervor
• cogency
• forcefulness
• warmth
• passion
• meaningfulness
• vehemence
• heat
• fervency
• ardor
• force
• fervidness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• inarticulateness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of rhetoric

Supporters of expanding Medicaid to help more Americans gain health insurance maintained that anti-fraud rhetoric often disguised ideological opposition to the program’s expansion. — Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026

Herzog raised fears that the mayor’s rhetoric stokes hate against Jews, including in New York City, which holds the largest Jewish population of any city in the United States. — Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026

The rhetoric before a merger and the behavior after, that doesn’t always match up. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026

By the time Zelenskyy reached Washington, however, his government had started dialing down its rhetoric. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 31 July 2026