declaim

1
as in to speak
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject over the last two centuries some of the most illustrious personages of their times have declaimed in the town's historic lyceum

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2
as in to harangue
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech he declaimed at some length about the nation's obligation to spread democratic values around the world

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of declaim Ten minutes later, a few dozen people were crowding into 192 Books, on Tenth Avenue, to hear Grau declaim in a dead language. Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024 He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity. Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024 His campaign said in March that the policy would apply only to mandatory coronavirus vaccinations, but Trump has repeatedly declaimed against vaccine mandates without mentioning covid. Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 24 June 2024 Park made a stunning impression in both spirituals and symphony, singing in a resonant and warm bass voice — and declaiming clearly without clipping — in both German and English. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Aug. 2023 See All Example Sentences for declaim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for declaim
Verb
  • Days after Khalil spoke to CNN, the university missed its deadline to reach an agreement on divestment.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The soldiers, speaking from the front by telephone Friday and Saturday, requested anonymity to discuss sensitive operations.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Several of those town halls – including in deeply Republican districts – went viral as residents harangued lawmakers over the cuts.
    Riley Beggin, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Republican members of Congress are finding themselves so harangued about federal cuts during town halls that they've been advised to stop holding them.
    Susan Page, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Vance, who lectures U.S. allies about how to run their affairs, reminds us of every rich guy from suburban Pittsburgh who visits the Amalfi Coast in the summer, drives up the pedestrianized streets, and then complains that the pasta is too chewy and there’s no AC in his 15th-century villa.
    Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Obama himself had to lecture black men testily about the need to turn out for Harris, suggesting their reluctance was due to sexism, but Biden’s numbers with this demographic were worse.
    W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Elegantly orating about universal vastness and human connection, the Chilean/French rapper’s delivery melds poetic prose with grace.
    Griselda Flores, Billboard, 21 Feb. 2025
  • Sheridan has an affinity for writing characters who have lots of big things to say about the world around them and their place in it; Yellowstone features hours of John Dutton solemnly orating on the subject of Montana, the ranching way of life, and the threat posed by outside interlopers.
    Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • She's laid off most of her staff and is talking with a realtor about selling the organization's office building.
    Jennifer Ludden, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Not one person talked to me about it—not Vince, not Hunter, no one from the office.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival in May and taking home the coveted Jury Prize and a joint Best Actress prize for its female ensemble (the three aforementioned performers plus Adriana Paz), discourse around Emilia Pérez lit up like a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
    Lucy Ford, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
  • But as posting about kids has grown into a legitimate industry online, so has discourse about the ethics of turning children into their families’ breadwinners.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 16 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Declaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/declaim. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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