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
Those include rhetorical shifts, partnerships with brokerage platforms and teaming up with companies to develop necessary infrastructure.
—
Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 1 June 2026
But the window requires decisions that run against every instinct of a community built around distrust of central coordination, resistance to change, and deep skepticism of urgency as a rhetorical device.
—Sandy Peng, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
American presidents have long used scripture as a rhetorical resource to frame important moments in the nation’s history.
—NPR, 28 May 2026
As noted earlier, research in rhetorical criticism and social phenomenology provided a basis for Carolyn Miller’s groundbreaking work in Genre as Social Action, which created new approaches for the study and teaching of genre.
—Tham Thi Nguyen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 1 June 2026
But the window requires decisions that run against every instinct of a community built around distrust of central coordination, resistance to change, and deep skepticism of urgency as a rhetorical device.
—Sandy Peng, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026
American presidents have long used scripture as a rhetorical resource to frame important moments in the nation’s history.
—NPR, 28 May 2026
As noted earlier, research in rhetorical criticism and social phenomenology provided a basis for Carolyn Miller’s groundbreaking work in Genre as Social Action, which created new approaches for the study and teaching of genre.
—Tham Thi Nguyen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 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
-
The walls are chockablock with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The film has a very specific, ornate visual style.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
For the last couple of years, the test has been provided in six languages, allowing vital linguistic access to our more than 70,000 students learning English as a second language.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
-
This poll is part of an ongoing project exploring the views of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, which are usually not highlighted in other surveys because of small sample sizes and lack of linguistic representation.—
Terry Tang,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 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
-
Boring Insects The stalk borer is a purple and cream-striped caterpillar that can attack tomato plants and cause wilting and death of the plant.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 June 2026
-
Points for going in a brave direction color-wise — and for the lovely little purple thistle detail on the back.—
Ashley Fetters Maloy,
Washington Post,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Darah Wood is the mother of the attack victim, Kevin Velasco-Wood, who is non-verbal.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
18 June 2026
-
Adam Reynolds, PhD, LCSW, RDT/BCT, a drama therapist, social worker, and educator working in New York, says creative therapies offer children a wider range of expression and engagement than verbal therapy alone.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Spalding contends that the container manufacturers sold equipment at inflated prices to leasing companies, ocean carriers and logistics providers, which then incorporated those costs into lease rates, freight charges and transportation fees.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
18 June 2026
-
An audit published in January of this year showed the NBE was incurring significant losses in the process of buying gold at such an inflated premium.—
Claire Wilmot & Gisa Tunbridge,
The Dial,
12 June 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 20 Jun. 2026.
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