as in hifalutin
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in moralizing
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as in ranting
disapproving
to speak or express your opinion about something in a way that shows that you think you are always right
We had to listen to her pontificate about the best way to raise children.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pontificating
Verb
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Last week, Fox premiered the new comedy Going Dutch, about a ranting conservative father (Denis Leary) forced to reconnect with his estranged liberal daughter (Taylor Misiak).—
Daniel Fienberg,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019 -
The Pats addressed two of their biggest needs, but instead in Tuesday’s paper there’s me, smiling in my headshot and ranting in print, a clueless dope.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
12 Mar. 2024
Adjective
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Arthur is … a lot too, but with a supercilious edge?—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2025
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Not that Allen wasn’t above poking fun at a friend: In many of their films together, Allen presented Roberts as so cool-headed as to verge on the comically supercilious.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The most complete studies were done by the British archaeologist and scholar Thomas Ashby, who scoured the remotest corners of the Roman Campagna from 1906 to 1925, and produced a magisterial tome, The Aqueducts of Ancient Rome, which was published posthumously by his wife in 1935.—
Tony Perrottet,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Mar. 2025
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Heston’s square-jawed nobility was rarely better exploited — not even a cameo from Jesus near the end can overshadow his magisterial heroism. 42.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
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In addition to taking part in the panel discussion, Hirata was also part of a program on Thursday called Befriend Your Butterflies, a lecture examining the concept of performance anxiety through the lens of psychology and musical performance.—
Deborah Laverty,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2025
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Central Florida Stamp Club: Meetings include auctions and informative lectures.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 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
Noun
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The Wild coaches challenged the play for potential goalie interference, but the goal was allowed to stand, and Washington was awarded a power play for the unsuccessful challenge.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
28 Mar. 2025
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The executive order against Jenner & Block complains that the firm re-hired a lawyer, Andrew Weissmann, who was part of Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference to benefit Trump in the 2016 presidential election.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In a world where deal flow is crucial, being labeled as an arrogant VC results in missing out on prime opportunities.—
David Nour,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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The arrogant anti-union stance did not start with the current CEO; even the legendary Studs Terkel was slapped down by WFMT management for his earlier support of an effort to unionize in 1990.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The law barred state funds from going toward the teachings of critical race theory, an academic framework emphasizing slavery’s impact on society today.—
Rose Evans,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Apr. 2025
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He’s been writing, editing and teaching for nearly 50 years, with stops in Hagerstown, Maryland; Riverside, California; Annapolis; Baltimore; and, since 1981, Washington.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
3 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pontificating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificating. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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