1
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way
The writing was overly complex and pedantic, which made it nearly impossible to understand for anyone but a specialist. The speech was thoroughly researched and well structured, but too pedantic to appeal to a general audience.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest
I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.
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Recent Examples of pedantic
In Korea and Vietnam, the Soviet Union and its partners stalled negotiations, insisting on the most pedantic points, accusing the U.S. of bad faith, and starting with outlandish demands that, if the U.S. were to satisfy them, would have amounted to capitulation.
—
Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
The 63-page booklet was classic Sinclair: heartfelt, pedantic and too ahead of its time for its own good.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Zawahiri’s public statements betray a pedantic tone, an overbearing manner, and impatience with critics.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2019
Thomas was both more romantic and more pedantic than his son had imagined.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pedantic 
Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024
The 63-page booklet was classic Sinclair: heartfelt, pedantic and too ahead of its time for its own good.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Zawahiri’s public statements betray a pedantic tone, an overbearing manner, and impatience with critics.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2019
Thomas was both more romantic and more pedantic than his son had imagined.
—Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
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Both winners will be announced at the FICA ceremony, establishing a new platform for recognizing both creative and scholarly contributions to regional cinema.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
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About 119,000 scholarly journal articles and conference papers are published globally every week, or more than 6 million a year.—
Guillaume Cabanac,
The Conversation,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Harris, the narrator’s husband: Paul Mescal or Nick Kroll Can Ireland's sexiest chain-wearer reinvent himself as a boring straight guy who's not entirely fulfilling his wife?—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
13 Feb. 2025
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From awful ads to a divisive halftime show to a boring game, 10 things to forget.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The bottom line: Football and books — the recipe for a more learned and literate America.—
Isaac Avilucea,
Axios,
13 Jan. 2025
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The island provides plenty of incentives for investors, including a skilled and highly literate workforce, trade agreements that open up a market of nearly one billion customers, very low energy costs and a strategic location outside of the hurricane belt.—
Tobago House of Assembly,
Miami Herald,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The first few years of being a parent can be among the most tiring as moms and dads try and often fail to get infants into a regular routine of unbroken sleep at night.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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No matter the outcome of the AFC Championship Game between the Chiefs and Bills, the winners are anyone who was tiring of the Taylor Swift-Hailee Steinfeld (faux) drama.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Chahine is clearly an intelligent person, and his experience in finance has obviously helped him during this esports journey, making decisions that traditional esports execs may not have made.—
Mike Stubbs,
Forbes,
8 Feb. 2025
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At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures.—
Kevin Spencer,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For a company known for its ingenuity, Disney seemed to phone it in this year by spending their precious millions on a dull ad that imagines a universe without their iconic IP.—
Rob LeDonne,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
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The female is dull yellow-green without any markings.—
Stan Tekiela,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The cerebral Sridhar Ramaswamy, had the misfortune to follow in the huge CEO footsteps of the Bill Belichick-like Slootman.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
18 Feb. 2025
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An autopsy showed that McLaughlin died from cerebral damage and constriction of the neck, the Associated Press reports.—
KC Baker,
People.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Its storytelling is straightforward, familiar, and even didactic, culminating in a dime-store Freudian sequence which flashes back to a moment from John’s childhood in which his father wins a painting contest at a local fair.—
Natalia Winkelman,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2025
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There are several plot holes, extra scenes clearly included just to boost Sheridan's ego, and the dialogue has become overly preachy and didactic—almost as annoying as Aaron Sorkin's mini-sermons in later seasons of The West Wing, which is saying something.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
24 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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