as in rhetorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
one of those fustian odes to patriotic duty that were so beloved by school teachers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in rhetoric
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere
a speech awash in old-fashioned fustian and bereft of all substance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of fustian
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Noun
Freed of the architectural fustian of the Frick’s Gilded Age home, the art breathes anew, each painting in its own world rather than entwined with others as part of a decorative ensemble.
—Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 6 June 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fustian
Adjective
-
But both men benefit from a shock-and-awe rhetorical strategy.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Hosts sometimes have an argumentative style or adopt rhetorical strategies such as irony, jokes, and humor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Stop listening to the rhetoric coming from the government.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 May 2026
-
Musk’s attorney pressed him on the discrepancy between mission rhetoric and personal enrichment.—
Anisha Sircar,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some even require dedicated facilities, leading to inflated costs.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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The new movie, by contrast, is an inflated meditation on fiction and reality.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
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That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fustian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fustian. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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