descant 1 of 2

verb

ˈdes-ˌkant How to pronounce descant (audio)
Definition of descantnext
1
as in to speak
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject an English professor who loves to descant on his beloved Shakespeare

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to chant
to produce musical sounds with the voice the world-famous soprano descanted above the melody line

Synonyms & Similar Words

descant

2 of 2

noun

variants also discant
1
as in chorus

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in observation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of descant
Noun
Bart, too idiosyncratic merely to copy the idiosyncrasies of the movie’s Christopher Lloyd, instead adds a descant of commentary atop them, sometimes seeming to extemporize a different show entirely. — Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2023 Then comes a longer descant of mixed-up work, including bad versions of pop tunes and ambitious attempts at pop epics. — Adam Gopni, The New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descant
  1. speak
  2. chant
  3. chorus
  4. observation
  5. lecture
  6. sing
  7. motet
  8. remark
Verb
  • Days after Khalil spoke to CNN, the university missed its deadline to reach an agreement on divestment.
    — Chelsea Bailey, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speak with the media after meetings with a Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 11, 2025.
    — Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 11 Mar. 2025
Definition of speak
Verb
  • The protesters could still be heard chanting throughout, and police responded after a pro-Palestinian protester stole an Israeli flag.
    — Katcy Stephan, Variety, 18 Mar. 2025
  • The message was clear from the terraces too, as the Forest fans repeatedly chanted ‘England’s No 10’ in support of Gibbs-White, while offering a less friendly chant for Tuchel.
    — Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of chant
Noun
  • Nobody was playing this kind of tight, Byrds country rock—short songs with sweet harmonies and big choruses.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2025
  • This was a frequent chorus from my siblings and me as children, as our grandmother pottered about the kitchen chewing on a stick that looked a bit like sugarcane, fixing a drink brewed with honey and lemon.
    — Ranyechi Udemezue, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of chorus
Noun
  • The agency also noted that the company’s response to its list of observations, formally known as Form 483, was insufficient.
    — Annika Kim Constantino,Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 11 Mar. 2025
  • Not only did the resulting observations show that stars near the sun were shifted just as general relativity predicted, but the measurement of how far they were shifted almost exactly matched Einstein’s calculation.
    — Eric Mack, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of observation
Verb
  • Vance, who lectures U.S. allies about how to run their affairs, reminds us of every rich guy from suburban Pittsburgh who visits the Amalfi Coast in the summer, drives up the pedestrianized streets, and then complains that the pasta is too chewy and there’s no AC in his 15th-century villa.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Obama himself had to lecture black men testily about the need to turn out for Harris, suggesting their reluctance was due to sexism, but Biden’s numbers with this demographic were worse.
    — W. James Antle III, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of lecture
Verb
  • In videos shared to Instagram, the actress sings, dances, and toasts with her wife Jessica Betts, daughter Dia Nash, and more guests including NLE Choppa, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Teyana Tayor, Vivica A. Fox, Tia Mowry, and more.
    — DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Cooper, a former mailman before turning his sights to music, sings about the memories and life moments that the numbers on a mailbox signify to someone who calls an address home.
    — Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of sing
Noun
  • The service and concert will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 5, at the church, 815 S. Washington St. Castle Singers are vocalists who perform a variety of chamber repertoire, varying from Renaissance madrigals and motets to contemporary pop and vocal jazz.
    — Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Her husband, my grandfather, was not only a composer who wrote liturgical music, motets, symphonies, and string quartets but also a beloved music teacher who believed that music was as crucial to the development of the mind as math.
    — Stephanie H. Murray, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of motet
Noun
  • Burgum was effusive in his praise of the oil and gas industry during remarks delivered at CERAWeek by S&P Global conference.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 15 Mar. 2025
  • President Trump on Friday afternoon gave remarks at the Justice Department.
    — The Hill, The Hill, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of remark

Browse Nearby Words

descant
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Descant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descant. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on descant

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about descant

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments
See More

Popular Features

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Top 10 Sophisticated Insults

Flower Etymologies For Your Spring Garden
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-in-disguise
Rhyme Disguise Quiz Pair up words that look different but sound alike.
See All