variants
also rhetoric
1
as in oratorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
you can skip over the rhetorical passages and still get the gist of the essay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ornate
full of fine words and fancy expressions
the new governor delivered a long rhetorical speech about our state's bright future but laid out no specific programs for ensuring it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in linguistic
of or relating to words or language
the next war that those two nations fight won't be rhetorical—it will be with bombs and bullets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rhetorical
The unraveling of the once-cozy relationship is not just personal or rhetorical.
—
Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
For Republican Presidents, this has mostly been rhetoric.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
While the confrontation remains largely rhetorical for now, the sharp escalation in language, and the competing interests driving it, highlight the fragility of the regional landscape and the limits of Washington’s ability to keep both sides aligned.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Its sustained support for armed proxy groups in the region — organizations that openly seek Israel’s destruction — demonstrates that this is not merely rhetorical.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager, The Conversation, 24 Apr. 2026
For Republican Presidents, this has mostly been rhetoric.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
While the confrontation remains largely rhetorical for now, the sharp escalation in language, and the competing interests driving it, highlight the fragility of the regional landscape and the limits of Washington’s ability to keep both sides aligned.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 14 Apr. 2026
Its sustained support for armed proxy groups in the region — organizations that openly seek Israel’s destruction — demonstrates that this is not merely rhetorical.
—Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetorical
Adjective
-
That wasn’t Newsom’s only oratorical slip-up, although the second one says more about the larger Democratic Party than anything else.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
-
With his height and his oratorical flourishes, Jackson was a charismatic figure who led protests in Greensboro.—
Johanna Neuman,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Ladies who lunch at The George cross paths with ladies who launch (startups, that is), men in smart suits are occasionally gala-bound, and creatives on laptops greet locals stopping in for a drink or afternoon tea under the ornate ceilings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
The insider added that the mom-to-be repeatedly gushed over the ornate decorations.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cultural understanding and linguistic responsiveness are essential components of effective treatment.—
Maria Bledsoe,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 May 2026
-
Indonesia is a country of 1,340 ethnic groups, more than 17,000 islands, and 718 local languages – representing roughly 10% of the world’s linguistic heritage – and Zon argues that the richness of that regional storytelling is precisely what differentiates Indonesian cinema internationally.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Purple-striped are large silvery white with deep purple bands.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
20 May 2026
-
Georgia is much more purple and has two Democratic senators.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
The verbal understanding, which lasted 43 years across six city administrations, is ending in May as city officials raised concerns about service levels, record-keeping and financial oversight.—
Verónica Egui Brito,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
-
But the confrontations were more than just verbal — Manzo would frequently join in on nighttime police activity in the city.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some even require dedicated facilities, leading to inflated costs.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
The new movie, by contrast, is an inflated meditation on fiction and reality.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).—
Michael O’Donnell,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.—
Roy Scranton,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rhetorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetorical. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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