1
as in speaking
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject
an English professor who loves to descant on his beloved Shakespeare
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in chanting
to produce musical sounds with the voice
the world-famous soprano descanted above the melody line
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for descanting
Verb
-
The Four Seasons is known for exceptional service across their properties (speaking to their veteran expertise, my poolside waiter had worked at the hotel for over 20 years).—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026 -
The Arab Republic of Egypt (1953) stakes a natural claim to the Rosetta Stone, which was commissioned in 196 BCE by a Greek-speaking pharaoh of Macedonian descent, and unearthed near Alexandria by French engineers in 1799.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Fans went back-and-forth chanting for Sami and Trick as Zayn opened up with his deep arsenal of offense.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
-
The performers were wearing drapes over their heads and chanting to drone music while smoking a hookah, and there were flowers everywhere.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The cruel cartoon of a constantly shrewish, venal, and disloyal Mary began cementing itself in the public mind when William Herndon, Lincoln’s Springfield law partner, started lecturing about his reminiscences within months of the President’s murder.—
Thomas Mallon,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
At Yale, where Garber began her career, Jacques Derrida was a frequent visitor, and Paul de Man might be found down the corridor solemnly lecturing on Nietzsche.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The straight-talking Benatia, who became sporting director in January 2025 after previously working for the club in an advisory role, fit a similar mould.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
Riley was equally at ease when talking with the dentist, listening patiently as the man described his fancy new house in a gentrified area.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Descanting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/descanting. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
