pontificating 1 of 3

pontificating

2 of 3

noun

pontificating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pontificate
as in ranting
disapproving to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontificating
Verb
  • This week’s Liberal Media Scream features the co-founder of Axios ranting about billionaire Elon Musk and his comments on X about being part of the news media.
    Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 25 Nov. 2024
  • But Oliver becomes increasingly agitated, ranting and pacing.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Even Lu, most closed and supercilious of the bunch, has weird, troubled reservoirs of shame that gradually start to froth and bubble.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
  • Though emerging out of segregation, Black Greek-letter organizations, too, had supercilious standards for their members and rules about who could join.
    Jazmine Hughes, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Here are five other movies about the magisterial singer-songwriter whose life and lyrics have forever expanded the contours of American music.
    Hugh Hart, Los Angeles Times, 11 Dec. 2024
  • That’s part of the Dune trap — moviegoers for the 1984 version were greeted with a glossary of terminology — but so far, the show doesn’t have the magisterial wonder of the Villeneuve films to give it a boost.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Central Florida Stamp Club: Meetings include auctions and informative lectures.
    Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Dec. 2024
  • The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame puts an exclamation point on celebrating 50 years of hip-hop with a special lecture Thursday.
    Troy Smith, Axios, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The prose is confiding and, in places, pontifical.
    Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2020
  • That revelation, coupled with other recent pontifical critiques, have quickly dissolved the notion that the Dec. 31 death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a symbolic leader of the church’s conservative wing, might lessen the opposition to Francis.
    Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 18 Jan. 2023
Noun
  • There’s also the question of whether WBD will honor the promise to let DC Studios proceed without interference — a promise already undermined by the fact casting for Superman had to be approved through a committee of studio execs including Warner President and CEO David Zaslav.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
  • What's New The European Union has launched an investigation into TikTok over its role in Romania's recent presidential election, annulled following allegations of Russian interference.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The arrogant millionaire heir James Beaufort (Damian Hardung) then has to deal with the quick-witted scholarship student, for better or worse.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Dec. 2024
  • The truth is that women often downplay their accomplishments to avoid being perceived as arrogant, but this approach can unintentionally undermine your professional growth.
    Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • Giovanni held teaching roles at both Rutgers and Queens College before being recruited by Fowler, who was the associate head of the English department at Virginia Tech, back in 1987.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 10 Dec. 2024
  • According to a LinkedIn profile, after his internship Mangione was a teaching assistant at University of Pennsylvania in Data Structures and Algorithms, and also worked as a teaching assistant at Stanford University for a summer program in AI.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near pontificating

Cite this Entry

“Pontificating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificating. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on pontificating

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!