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
Credit to Slot and the players for increasing the tempo of the game since that half with quicker passes and less ponderous buildup.
—
Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
What happens to the victims is swept under the rug, but the number of traumatized, law abiding citizens paying a dear price now under that rug is becoming a ponderous digit.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2025
Both seasons tackle a wide range of pressing social issues (inequality of wealth, prejudice, capitalism, consumerism) without being ponderous.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
And when the outcome is slow, ponderous and predictable, the risk to set up in that shape becomes even less worth taking.
—Thom Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
What happens to the victims is swept under the rug, but the number of traumatized, law abiding citizens paying a dear price now under that rug is becoming a ponderous digit.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2025
Both seasons tackle a wide range of pressing social issues (inequality of wealth, prejudice, capitalism, consumerism) without being ponderous.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
And when the outcome is slow, ponderous and predictable, the risk to set up in that shape becomes even less worth taking.
—Thom Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
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Transform boring tasks into challenges with stakes, rewards, and achievements.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Broberg’s heartbreaking overtime winner Some overtimes are boring, with teams methodically regrouping.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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On 25th March 2025, Russian forces launched a massive drone assault on Dnipropetrovsk oblast, including Marhanets and Nikopol, marking one of the largest and most intense attacks of the war to date.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2025
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Masterminded by the Rockwell Group, that means a cocktail lounge draped in blue velvet with a marble bar under a massive lighted globe on the 48th floor.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Kisses her mouth, but the gesture is awkward, clumsy; their teeth strike together, and Brianna winces.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
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As well as making a star of Alicia Silverstone, the original movie showcased the talents of Paul Rudd who played her stepbrother Josh (and went onto become Phoebe’s partner in Friends and take on the role of Ant Man) and the late Brittany Murphy, who played Cher’s clumsy friend Tai.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Keeling had discovered what became known as the Keeling Curve – the slow rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that was causing global warming.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Consumer spending has softened so far this year, however, which could lead to slower economic growth.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Not all of them, but many of them are so heavy and about heartbreak.—
Nicholas Ducassi,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Mar. 2025
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In 1993, Lanigan co-founded Walter Payton Power Equipment, a crane and heavy equipment distributor.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While Susan’s style gets all the attention, there’s a story to be told in Roberta’s awkward glow-up, too.—
Scarlett Harris,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
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The timing is awkward for Google, coming just days after Microsoft’s latest warning implying users would be safer switching from Chrome to Edge.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While squatting is a relatively rare problem at the national level, the issue has gotten more attention over the past year—and can be extremely tiring and stressful for property owners.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
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Kraft likes taking big swings, but after tiring of Belichick’s autocratic approach, his priority for the 2024 season was simply regaining control of his franchise.—
Mike Sando,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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As legal professionals gain increasing authority over AI deployment decisions, new internal stakeholders are introduced, making the organizational process of adopting AI systems more cumbersome.—
Nizan Geslevich Packin,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Like so many others, they are left with an impossible choice: involve the criminal justice system — which may be slow, cumbersome and invasive — or do nothing and hope the situation doesn’t escalate.—
Eric Gonzalez,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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