variants
also rhetoric
1
as in oratorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
you can skip over the rhetorical passages and still get the gist of the essay
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in purple
full of fine words and fancy expressions
the new governor delivered a long rhetorical speech about our state's bright future but laid out no specific programs for ensuring it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in verbal
of or relating to words or language
the next war that those two nations fight won't be rhetorical—it will be with bombs and bullets
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of rhetorical
After his pardon, Forrest perfected a rhetorical technique for his extremism.
—
David Cason, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
That level of rhetorical sophistication was missing from all of his previous congressional addresses.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
President Ronald Reagan laid the rhetorical foundations for the initiative in a 1982 speech to the British Parliament.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
Trump defended the actions from the early days of his administration, including tariffs on Mexico and Canada, in an attempt at rhetorical shock and awe.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
David Cason, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
That level of rhetorical sophistication was missing from all of his previous congressional addresses.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
President Ronald Reagan laid the rhetorical foundations for the initiative in a 1982 speech to the British Parliament.
—Frank Langfitt, NPR, 6 Mar. 2025
Trump defended the actions from the early days of his administration, including tariffs on Mexico and Canada, in an attempt at rhetorical shock and awe.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rhetorical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetorical
Adjective
-
Thus enfranchised, Hackman took on Richard Harris’ elegant killer English Bob with gusto, mixing in a bravura oratorical gavotte with ample kicks to the ribs, and summoning the Best Supporting Actor trophy.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
27 Feb. 2025
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To some of Mojtaba’s supporters, the lack of religious qualifications and oratorical skills may not matter.—
Akbar Ganji,
Foreign Affairs,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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For the second part of the show, a large, purple head and praying hands took over the stage.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
23 Mar. 2025
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Today, visitors flock to the canyons to take in the soil’s pink, orange, red, and purple coloring.—
Nicole Letts,
Southern Living,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In the hearing, Judge Boasberg grilled the Justice Department lawyer on what happened last weekend when those planes took off and landed in El Salvador despite the judge's verbal order in court from the bench that they be turned around immediately.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2025
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This verbal confrontation didn't happen, but the discomfort of her children finding about their granddad was real.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The prose is confiding and, in places, pontifical.—
Judith Thurman,
The New Yorker,
24 Aug. 2020
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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
Adjective
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The paper 'Notable Representations in Large-Scale Transformers' by Alfred E. Neuman explores how transformer models encode linguistic and semantic patterns across multiple layers.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
12 Mar. 2025
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From icy dips to linguistic leaps, these lovebirds went above and beyond to pop the question!—
Ronnie Li,
USA TODAY,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Many projects that were celebrated during bull markets are now facing existential crises, unable to justify their inflated valuations.—
Max (Chong) Li,
Forbes,
18 Mar. 2025
-
Styles is frequently captured by paparazzi wearing Anderson’s designs, such as a navy bomber jacket filled with enough puffer insulation to create an inflated silhouette.—
Rebecca Mead,
The New Yorker,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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King’s leadership, however, unified millions across America through peaceful protests, marches, and eloquent advocacy.—
Dan Pontefract,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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Sunday afternoon the opener was Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with Yefim Bronfman as the bold-toned, rhythmically precise, eloquent soloist.—
Mark Swed,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Ornithologist Richard Prum also takes a communicative view of art, but one where art is meant to be evaluated for its beauty.—
Shawn Simpson,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2025
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Their steering is communicative, responsive and precise.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
18 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rhetorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetorical. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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