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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest
I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pedantic
The primary impact was to tournament players and to the pedantic rule grammar police.
—
Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Plus, in addition to bringing back master-of-disguise penguin villain Feathers McGraw, the movie features a convincing while never pedantic message about our dependence on technology and the pleasures of doing things by hand.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
So ultimately, the remedy for this problem goes beyond pedantic lessons in medical risk data.
—Amanda Montañez, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2024
And Mitchell is perfectly cast in a role seemingly built to suit his usual fussy, pedantic schtick.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Todd Boss, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
Plus, in addition to bringing back master-of-disguise penguin villain Feathers McGraw, the movie features a convincing while never pedantic message about our dependence on technology and the pleasures of doing things by hand.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
So ultimately, the remedy for this problem goes beyond pedantic lessons in medical risk data.
—Amanda Montañez, Scientific American, 27 Sep. 2024
And Mitchell is perfectly cast in a role seemingly built to suit his usual fussy, pedantic schtick.
—Anne Victoria Clark, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
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Narrative medicine, an increasingly popular scholarly field developed at Columbia University by the internist and literary scholar Rita Charon, aims to improve medical care by helping clinicians more fully understand their patients’ stories and perspectives.—
Danielle Ofri,
New Yorker,
7 June 2025
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Most of the remaining Kashmiri Hindus, primarily from the scholarly Pandit community, fled after a wave of religious attacks in the late 1980s and early 1990s.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some people assume that longtime married couples are boring, but my husband has never bored me.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
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Spectators perceive tennis outfits as plain, boring, rigid or limited to a specific silhouette.—
Ruth Etiesit Samuel,
Essence,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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At the same time, fans are more financially literate, and creators are increasingly looking for ways to own and monetize their work without middlemen.—
Azeem Khan,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
Their neighbors were literate, cultivated, liberal in their politics.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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The 35-year-old started 22 of the 24 games Cronenworth missed with a fractured rib and was clearly tiring at the end, going 3-for-30 in his final nine starts.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
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Bradley was clearly tiring, having struggled at times defensively in the second half.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
In 1950 the Italian physicist Enrico Fermi was discussing the possibility of intelligent alien life with his colleagues.—
Philip Ball,
Wired News,
8 June 2025
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Second, a human must be kept in the loop of intelligent machine decision-making processes.—
John Werner,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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There are a few family members who only wear olive, mustard, khaki, black and other dull colors; clunky, unattractive shoes; and few accessories.—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 June 2025
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Age Defense Retinol Complex 0.5 is no exception, which shines with its abilities to reduce the look of fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and overall dull skin.—
Sarah Han,
Allure,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
McCutchen said the next step in Cruz’s evolution is to go beyond his physical tools, and develop an instinctive, cerebral understanding of the sport.—
Ken Rosenthal,
New York Times,
29 May 2025
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The cerebral crowd attended lectures on topics such as the Italian sculptor Bernini.—
Fran Golden,
AFAR Media,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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This is, in large part, a refreshing break from the didactic tone of so many crime shows, although Frank does leave some compelling ideas insufficiently examined.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 May 2025
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In the wrong hands, this could be too didactic and clumsy, but it’s deftly executed, and the integration of songs, drama, and dance is seamless—and often stunning.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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