pedantic

adjective

Definition of pedanticnext
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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2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.

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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 pedantic Rice cleaners are pedantic and nitpicky. — Aksha Mittapalli, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 June 2026 Special shout-out to the writers’ room for giving us a high-tension cold open and then segueing immediately post-credits to the Titan equivalent of a family road trip where Mom and Dad are pedantic geniuses arguing over what route to take to the beach. — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 22 May 2026 The problem with buying a striker from a team in Portugal is — to be a little pedantic — not that the Portuguese top flight is weak. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026 They were organized and well led by guides who were always clearly spoken, professional, and responsive to questions (if sometimes a tad pedantic in their fact-sharing). — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
  1. scholarly
  2. boring
  3. literate
  4. tiring
  5. cerebral
  6. dull
  7. intelligent
  8. didactic
Adjective
  • Both are craftsmen, interested in immediate emotional response over esoteric scholarly unpacking.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Its attribution and history have attracted extensive scholarly attention.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of scholarly
Adjective
  • Indeed, Hank hurts lots of people in this action-comedy that doesn’t prove boring for a second but has trouble managing its disparate tones.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Ma brings a happy zeal — and an artist’s eye for detail — to creating a sense of wonder, fantasy and futuristic freedom in a world limited by boring, rational constraints.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of boring
Adjective
  • For a long time, the book’s iconic cover—a stark image evoking Trayvon Martin’s hoodie against a white backdrop—seemed to be on every other literate person’s nightstand.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
  • And for anyone who would rather opt out of all this entirely, Philip Johnson’s first residential commission is being restored in Bedford and will soon be looking for a very architecturally literate new owner!
    — Nora DeLigter, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of literate
Adjective
  • Food & Drink You’ll find just two dining venues on the property, The Dining Room (which serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and the poolside Palapa Bar, but there’s no chance of tiring of the fare.
    — Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Permanent Marker Removal Trying to scrub permanent marker away is tiring, time-consuming, and often futile without some type of product to loosen the marker.
    — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of tiring
Adjective
  • If fluid starts pooling in your lungs (known as high-altitude pulmonary edema) or in your brain (high-altitude cerebral edema), get medical attention as soon as possible.
    — Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Japan has selected Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s luminously cerebral French-language feature All of a Sudden as its submission for the best international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of cerebral
Adjective
  • In recent studies by AccuWeather experts, excessive rainfall can contribute to insect and fungus damage in parts of Pennsylvania, which may lead to duller colors and earlier leaf drop.
    — Gabby Sartori, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The city is flooded with dull and uninteresting structures clad in the material.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of dull
Adjective
  • Our hardware-agnostic capabilities expedite industrial adoption of Physical AI, while building the foundation that will support the next generation of intelligent robotic systems, including industrial humanoids.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Xiaomi moves beyond Nvidia Xiaomi’s existing electric vehicles have relied on Nvidia hardware for their intelligent-driving systems.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of intelligent
Adjective
  • Yet Manzoor is never didactic about expanding viewers’ perceptions of Muslim women.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
  • While the purpose of the video may have been didactic, Jiang tried her hand at flattery.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 25 July 2026
Definition of didactic

Browse Nearby Words

pedant
pedantic
pedantry
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Cite this Entry

“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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