pontificating 1 of 3

adjective

Definition of pontificatingnext
as in hifalutin

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

pontificating

2 of 3

noun

as in moralizing

Synonyms & Similar Words

pontificating

3 of 3

verb

present participle of pontificate
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
  1. ranting
  2. supercilious
  3. magisterial
  4. lecture
  5. pontifical
  6. interference
  7. arrogant
  8. teaching
Verb
  • 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
Definition of ranting
Adjective
  • 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
  • Still, in many voters’ minds, the association between Democrats and supercilious scolding seems hard to shake.
    — Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024
Definition of supercilious
Adjective
  • There have been pure hammerings inflicted by a magisterial opponent, there have been vain attempts to keep the score down, there have been have-a-go failures and defensive mishaps.
    — George Caulkin, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
  • The scholar Stewart Patrick, an expert on international institutions, examines this history in detail in his magisterial book, The Best Laid Plans.
    — Michael J. Mazarr, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2018
Definition of magisterial
Noun
  • That earned him a gentle lecture from his mom about Michelle, and women in general, not being his property.
    — Mara Wilson, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2025
  • It’s become common to see Self lecture Storr about his defense on the sideline.
    — Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of lecture
Adjective
  • The prose is confiding and, in places, pontifical.
    — Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2020
  • 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
Definition of pontifical
Noun
  • Spectrum Effect Helps Operators Make The Most Of Licensed Spectrum Spectrum Effect offers an innovative platform that provides network operators with granular visibility into RAN interference detection and offers fine-tuning capabilities powered by an AI-RAN operations engine.
    — Will Townsend, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Roman was indicted alongside Trump in the Georgia election interference case, which was brought by Willis in 2023 and currently remains in limbo.
    — David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of interference
Adjective
  • So this kind of parallel can easily be drawn between Iran and other countries, [including those with] an arrogant isolation program, definitely.
    — Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
  • One of the targets of his reign of terror is arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen, played by Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush admitted to the facility after being left partially paralyzed after a stroke.
    — Simon Thompson, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
Definition of arrogant
Noun
  • Put core teachings into digital systems that deliver 24/7 regardless of your location.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Andujar and her fellow students have been able to internalize the teachings and apply them to their own experiences.
    — Shahrzad Rasekh, Hartford Courant, 21 Mar. 2025
Definition of teaching
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.

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pontificates
pontificating
pontoon
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“Pontificating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pontificating. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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