1
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
fell asleep during the ponderous speech
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in massive
having great weight
those ponderous pachyderms more commonly known as elephants
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
lugged a ponderous movie camera all over China
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ponderous
Credit to Slot and the players for increasing the tempo of the game since that half with quicker passes and less ponderous buildup.
—
Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
What happens to the victims is swept under the rug, but the number of traumatized, law abiding citizens paying a dear price now under that rug is becoming a ponderous digit.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2025
Both seasons tackle a wide range of pressing social issues (inequality of wealth, prejudice, capitalism, consumerism) without being ponderous.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
And when the outcome is slow, ponderous and predictable, the risk to set up in that shape becomes even less worth taking.
—Thom Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Gregg Evans, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
What happens to the victims is swept under the rug, but the number of traumatized, law abiding citizens paying a dear price now under that rug is becoming a ponderous digit.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Jan. 2025
Both seasons tackle a wide range of pressing social issues (inequality of wealth, prejudice, capitalism, consumerism) without being ponderous.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 26 Dec. 2024
And when the outcome is slow, ponderous and predictable, the risk to set up in that shape becomes even less worth taking.
—Thom Harris, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ponderous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ponderous
Adjective
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Then Saturday, Columbus sputtered to a disappointing (and boring) scoreless draw at home against the Houston Dynamo, one of the weakest MLS teams.—
Andrew King,
Axios,
11 Mar. 2025
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Literature that doesn’t contain its own version of this deal—literature that tries to freeze-frame reality instead of transmuting it—is often boring, even alienating.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
11 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Canucks had reeled off a couple of massive wins to leapfrog the Calgary Flames and reclaim the final wild-card spot.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
17 Mar. 2025
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The environmental policy pivot by the Trump administration also has massive implications for the country’s ability to compete in the fast-growing global market for clean energy.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Kisses her mouth, but the gesture is awkward, clumsy; their teeth strike together, and Brianna winces.—
Joyce Carol Oates,
The New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2025
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As well as making a star of Alicia Silverstone, the original movie showcased the talents of Paul Rudd who played her stepbrother Josh (and went onto become Phoebe’s partner in Friends and take on the role of Ant Man) and the late Brittany Murphy, who played Cher’s clumsy friend Tai.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes,
15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Plan For Possible Delays: Given the potential for slower processing, apply well before needing benefits.—
Shahar Ziv,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
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Keeling had discovered what became known as the Keeling Curve – the slow rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that was causing global warming.—
Elizabeth Weise,
USA TODAY,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The Carolina Panthers put a heavy emphasis on defense on Monday during the first wave of the NFL’s legal tampering period.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
12 Mar. 2025
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The 30- and 40-ounce tumblers have a base diameter of 3.15 inches, but the 40-ounce size is slightly heavier (1.4 pounds vs. 1.1 pounds).—
Chaunie Brusie, RN,
Parents,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Historically an awkward public speaker, Johnson nevertheless saw the invitation as an opportunity to promote his plan for a voting rights bill.—
Michael Peregrine,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
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Things only get less interesting as that love triangles widens into an awkward kind of square, the chiaroscuro splendor of Soderbergh’s cinematography laboring to compensate for a murder-mystery that’s as scattered and impenetrable as Berlin itself.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Follow the money: The stock market, for one, is tiring of such shenanigans.—
Felix Salmon,
Axios,
7 Mar. 2025
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In Aurora, voters seem to be tiring of two-term incumbent Republican Richard Irvin, who was the top vote getter but got just 38%.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Eliminating the department altogether would be a cumbersome task, which likely would require an act of Congress.—
Annie Ma and Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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The team concluded that based on the spinal column, the combination of a great white build with the megalodon's much longer length would have simply proved too cumbersome.—
Jennifer Ouellette,
Ars Technica,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ponderous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ponderous. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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