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
Building and construction unions no longer can use their old rhetorical cudgel in this debate — calling prefab homes flimsy and unsafe.
—
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
By the time Turner gave his paper in Chicago in 1893, the myth of the frontier already had an irresistible pull in American culture, a simple rhetorical trajectory that made white men and women feel proud of themselves and their past.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
But Friedrich isn’t trying to outdo Michael Pollan or Jonathan Safran Foer in rhetorical force or depth of research.
—Andrew Zaleski, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026
There’s a familiar rhetorical pattern to retirement announcements by most members of Congress.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
By the time Turner gave his paper in Chicago in 1893, the myth of the frontier already had an irresistible pull in American culture, a simple rhetorical trajectory that made white men and women feel proud of themselves and their past.
—Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
But Friedrich isn’t trying to outdo Michael Pollan or Jonathan Safran Foer in rhetorical force or depth of research.
—Andrew Zaleski, The Atlantic, 30 Mar. 2026
There’s a familiar rhetorical pattern to retirement announcements by most members of Congress.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 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 columns that will support the ballroom’s south colonnade have Corinthian capitals, the most ornate type of decorative top for a column.—
Kevin D. Murphy,
The Conversation,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The handshake with Xi in the ornate East Hall at the Great Hall of the People, a space normally used for meeting foreign heads of state, underscored the reversal in political beliefs for Cheng.—
Janis Mackey Frayer,
NBC news,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But what recurs now is pure linguistic gesture—the second time as empty effigy.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Today the small community is known for the preservation of its African heritage and distinctive linguistic, social, religious, and musical traditions that have endured for centuries.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Democrats saw gains in red, blue and purple counties when compared to another judicial race last year, which was also won by the liberal candidate.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Starter Kyle Freeland was nails, and Willi Castro and Mickey Moniak both slipped on the celebratory purple faux fur coat after launching home runs.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Officers responded to a 911 call and were informed of a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical altercation, the department told Footwear News.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
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Given that Trump never knowingly engages in understatement, this is a rare example of verbal deflation.—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
American oil companies can sell as much as ever, now at an inflated price.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2026
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Criticisms of the Miami signature bridge project To critics who have complained from the start that the project was a waste of taxpayer money better spent on expanding public transit, the inflated costs and delays are all too predictable.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
8 Apr. 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 15 Apr. 2026.
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