declaimed; declaiming; declaims
1
: to speak rhetorically
speakers declaimed on a variety of issues
specifically
: to recite something as an exercise in elocution
2
: to speak pompously or bombastically : harangue
In presence of this historical fact it is foolish to declaim about natural rights …—
V. L. Parrington
V. L. Parrington
: to deliver rhetorically
an actor declaiming his lines
"I am a German citizen," she declaimed as if she had been practicing these lines …—André A. Aciman
André A. Aciman
specifically
: to recite in elocution
… all these people declaiming selections from Shakespeare. —Ellen Glasgow
Ellen Glasgow
declaimer
noun
Did you know?
When Should You Use declaim?
Declaiming suggests an unnatural style of speech best suited to a stage or podium. Listening to an actor declaim a passage in a Shakespeare play can be enjoyable. Listening to Aunt Ida at Sunday dinner declaiming on the virtues of roughage might not be. Most people don't appreciate being treated as an audience, and good advice is usually more welcome when it's not given in a declamatory style.
Synonyms
Examples of declaim in a Sentence
The actress declaimed her lines with passion.
The speakers declaimed on a variety of issues.
Recent Examples on the Web
Oliveira films on location, with the actors in costume, declaiming in boldly theatrical tones that seem wrenched whole from the era of the play’s origins.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
Ten minutes later, a few dozen people were crowding into 192 Books, on Tenth Avenue, to hear Grau declaim in a dead language.
—Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
His campaign said in March that the policy would apply only to mandatory coronavirus vaccinations, but Trump has repeatedly declaimed against vaccine mandates without mentioning covid.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for declaim 
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.
Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024
Ten minutes later, a few dozen people were crowding into 192 Books, on Tenth Avenue, to hear Grau declaim in a dead language.
—Fergus McIntosh, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
His campaign said in March that the policy would apply only to mandatory coronavirus vaccinations, but Trump has repeatedly declaimed against vaccine mandates without mentioning covid.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 24 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for declaim
Dictionary Entries Near declaim
Cite this Entry
“Declaim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/declaim. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
declaim
verb
de·claim
di-ˈklām 
: to speak or deliver in the manner of a formal speech
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share