1
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way
The writing was overly complex and pedantic, which made it nearly impossible to understand for anyone but a specialist. The speech was thoroughly researched and well structured, but too pedantic to appeal to a general audience.
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2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest
I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.
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Recent Examples of pedantic
So ultimately, the remedy for this problem goes beyond pedantic lessons in medical risk data.
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Amanda Montañez, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2024
For the pedantic like myself, this translates to 3,452.33834 regular miles or a numerically pleasing 5,555.99999 km.
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2024
Torres has managed to make a show that feels true, personally and sociologically, without pedantic attachment to any set of specific facts.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
Hollingsworth can be pedantic at times, which is understandable given the massive volume of material needed to convey de’ Medici’s enormous influence over a relatively lengthy life.
—Dave Kindy, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pedantic 
Amanda Montañez, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2024
For the pedantic like myself, this translates to 3,452.33834 regular miles or a numerically pleasing 5,555.99999 km.
—New Atlas, 28 Sep. 2024
Torres has managed to make a show that feels true, personally and sociologically, without pedantic attachment to any set of specific facts.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 July 2024
Hollingsworth can be pedantic at times, which is understandable given the massive volume of material needed to convey de’ Medici’s enormous influence over a relatively lengthy life.
—Dave Kindy, Washington Post, 10 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
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There is a lot of scholarly research regarding the ins and outs of wintertime blues.Lance Eliot, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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But plenty of scholarly studies have confirmed formaldehyde’s presence in our everyday lives and mirror our findings.Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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When the ice eventually thawed, evolutionary activity picked up, and things weren’t so boring anymore.David Bressan, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2024
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Nestled into a joke about how SNL is too boring if the rumor is true that everyone is on cocaine, Fleming hones in on Jost’s particular brand of bland mundanity.Vulture Staff, Vulture, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Everett’s Jim is not the caricature often associated with Twain’s portrayal but a literate, introspective man whose intellect and strategic thinking shine through.The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 20 Dec. 2024
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Discovering the fun of creating with acceptance of the parameters of how their truths could most profoundly connect evolved their sound into one that fully embraces the cinematic and literate evolutions of their sound and style.Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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As for food, those tiring of tagine may be glad of the West African restaurants tucked away within the medina.Elle Benson Easton, Travel + Leisure, 2 Nov. 2024
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That eliminates long, tiring road transfers, and allows more time in the bush.Holden Frith, The Week UK, theweek, 26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Ultimately, this might not be that intelligent and certainly would not surpass our own human fallacies in that regard but rather aggravate them—becoming, therefore, the antithesis of being beneficial to humanity.Hamilton Mann, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
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Advanced features, such as intelligent sensing systems and dual-speed settings, further enhance precision and adaptability across various tasks.Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 1 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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From designing cutting-edge medical devices to building electric vehicles in the factory of the future—using robots, AI, VR, automation and more—manufacturing is anything but dull.Ethan Karp, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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Or just a dull roar, bellowing 93 million miles away?Harri Weber, Popular Science, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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If Santo Stefano is cerebral, Santa Sabina is ethereal — as iridescent as a soap bubble but as solid as stone.David Laskin, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
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The cinematic language Expressionist filmmakers invented was esoteric, literally and figuratively shadowy, cerebral, and heavily symbolic.Elle Carroll, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Neither didactic nor gratuitous, these questions are neatly streamed into the screenplay and will enhance the film’s appeal for many viewers.Richard Kuipers, Variety, 29 Oct. 2024
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Roots of the New York School: The Foundations of American Modernism is a madly didactic abstraction that looks further back in time to artists and collectors like Duchamp, Rothko, Betty Parsons, Peggy Guggenheim, and Lee Krasner.Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 11 Jan. 2025.
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