RHETORIC Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

rhetoric

noun

ˈre-tə-rik

Definition of rhetoric

as in wind

language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere the mayor's promise to fight drugs was just rhetoric, since there was no money in the city budget for a drug program

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in poetry

the art or power of speaking or writing in a forceful and convincing way great leaders have often been masters of rhetoric, which they have used for both good and ill

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

inarticulateness

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 rhetoric The target list explains the strategy better than the rhetoric does. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 In July, a report from CNN found Collins' son-in-law, David Alan Scheer II, spreads white nationalist rhetoric on social media and associates with white supremacist groups. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 The name change, which Ontario Premier Doug Ford had dismissed as rhetoric when it was first suggested, comes amid an escalating trade war with Canada. — Innisfree McKinnon, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026 The images — found in a search by The Washington Post — follow other controversial actions and rhetoric from former Collins staffers and other Collins associates that have dogged his Senate campaign. — Liz Goodwin, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rhetoric

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric

Noun

Crews may benefit from slightly cooler temperatures in the days ahead, Gass said, and wind conditions are expected to remain fairly calm in both areas.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Stronger downdraft winds and loose, dry soil can impact how much dust is lifted into the air.

— Brandi D. Addison, AZCentral.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of wind

Noun

Ranging from oral poetry to stage plays to culture-defining legends, these stories resonate with us for their universality and specificity alike.

— Chloe Gong, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026
Muldrow’s fierce poetry and delivery, both political and personal, add layers of daring in deep expressions of dark history and bright, burning power.

— Steve Hochman, SPIN, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of poetry

Noun

Statham, who turned 59 this summer and is still in incredible shape, performs on his usual high-octane, no-time-for-nonsense level.

— Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
The nonsense began last year as a stunt tied to a cryptocurrency group, but more recently has been linked to groups protesting league policies.

— Greg Cote August 23, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of nonsense

Noun

Understanding Your Induction Cooktop Induction cooking is much different from gas or electric cooking because, with an induction cooktop, the cookware is heated directly through electromagnetic induction.

— Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Aug. 2026
The suit does not specify how much of the $4 million worth of gas went to Freedom Fuel stations or indicate whether the stations have a relationship with KRSM or Kazmi.

— Ryan Ermey, CNBC, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of gas

Noun

As psychedelic rock took over the city in the 1960s, Latino artists blended it with Afro-Cuban beats and percussive sounds more commonly found in jazz and salsa.

— Marissa J. Lang, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
The Collegiate Combo Competition recognizes excellence in college and university jazz programs across the country, highlighting student musicianship and ensemble performance.

— Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of jazz

Noun

The problem with the abstract expressionists’ relentless courting of the sublime was that the process of distillation produced too much bombast.

— Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
The players either dramatically make or subtly avoid eye contact with one another as the song builds to an epic crescendo, complete with eerie chanting, orchestral bombast, and booming timpani drums.

— Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of bombast

Noun

Much of that singularity was centered in McCarthy’s prose, which ricocheted—sometimes gracefully, sometimes jarringly—between gruff matter-of-factness and soaring, biblical grandiloquence.

— Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.

— Michael Nordine, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022

Definition of grandiloquence

Browse Nearby Words

rhapsody

rhetoric

rhetorical

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Style

“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rhetoric

noun

Example Sentences

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