1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
fell asleep during the ponderous speech
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massive
having great weight
those ponderous pachyderms more commonly known as elephants
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3
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
lugged a ponderous movie camera all over China
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ponderous
But despite those skillful trappings, the story soon feels ponderous.
—
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Parts of the final’s first half — slow and ponderous, with full-back Malo Gusto severely inverted — explained why a portion of Chelsea’s crowd are sceptical about him.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 May 2025
And, priced at just one penny per issue, the new paper was marketed to a much larger public than mercantile sheets like the ponderous Courier and Enquirer.
—Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 July 2025
The book’s languor can be ponderous and vintage, more 20th century than 21st.
—Daniel Felsenthal, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
Parts of the final’s first half — slow and ponderous, with full-back Malo Gusto severely inverted — explained why a portion of Chelsea’s crowd are sceptical about him.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 29 May 2025
And, priced at just one penny per issue, the new paper was marketed to a much larger public than mercantile sheets like the ponderous Courier and Enquirer.
—Matthew Karp, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
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The parasites get their names from the larvae, which look and act like screws, boring and twisting into their victim's flesh.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
25 Aug. 2025
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In the early episodes, when everyone’s still getting to know each other, are the conversations boring?—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Prior to McEntire taking the stage, as a massive red countdown clock ticked back toward showtime, a DJ played a medley of country and pop hits, turning the volume down during key phrases to let the crowd take over singing duties.—
Melonee Hurt,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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The cameras alert drivers of all surrounding objects and vehicles, so parking the massive SUV is a breeze.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
21 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This is a huge bonus for a clumsy gal like myself, who often trips over air.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The scale of the problem became terrifyingly clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Japanese government struggled to respond to a nationwide crisis with clumsy digital tools.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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By the looks of it, news of rock music’s slow and painful death under ever-widening pop hegemony is greatly exaggerated.—
Chris R. Morgan,
The Washington Examiner,
22 Aug. 2025
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That single question rewrote our road map and saved us from a slow collapse.—
Maksym Blazhkun,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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When heavy rain occurs, there is a risk of flooding, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone regions.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
28 Aug. 2025
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The weather service said on social media that 1.7 inches of rain fell at the Lucky Peak marina in a span of 45 minutes, and heavy rain was falling on the scar from last year’s Valley Fire in Boise’s East End, making mudslides a possibility.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But, sadly, this can be hard to repair once too far gone; naming the dynamic out loud can be daunting and awkward.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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India wants all three guests to remain seated, however awkward the conversation may be.—
Spriha Srivastava,
CNBC,
28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Superman’s meh international returns can also be understood as reflective of the worldwide audience tiring of Hollywood’s cultural diktats.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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With both sets of players tiring, the best chance of the 30-minute period would fall to substitute Salma Paralluelo, who could not divert Batlle’s cross towards goal from four yards out.—
Jamie Barton,
CNN Money,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Streamlining The Boarding Process With Mobile Scanning After the check-in comes the cumbersome boarding process.—
Samuel Mueller,
Forbes.com,
27 Aug. 2025
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If this is cumbersome for me, a privacy advocate, what does the public at large think about it?—
Justyn Newman,
PC Magazine,
26 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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