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
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Recent Examples of pedantic
In Strauss’s opinion, Oppenheimer’s increasing concerns about nuclear proliferation and radioactive wastes were pedantic, alarmist.
—
Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
None of this is pedantic, nor is it puffed up with moral outrage.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Newsweek Sports quoted Bruckheimer's statements, highlighting Hamilton's pedantic approach while filming.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
The inspiring leader is a big-picture optimist while the infuriating leader a pedantic pessimist.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
None of this is pedantic, nor is it puffed up with moral outrage.
—Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
Newsweek Sports quoted Bruckheimer's statements, highlighting Hamilton's pedantic approach while filming.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
The inspiring leader is a big-picture optimist while the infuriating leader a pedantic pessimist.
—Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
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The author of several books and scholarly articles on equity markets, Jacobs has been a long-timer supporter of the Wharton School and has previously served on its finance faculty.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Today, calligraphy remains part of northern Nigeria’s scholarly traditions.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But Anderson also knows that the moral purity of revolutionaries gets boring pretty fast.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
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However, the McCullum and Stokes selection wagon prefers fast wheels rather than those boring job specs, such as age and experience.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The evolution from resistance to institutional partnership reflects how enterprise tech giants, including Microsoft, IBM and others, are racing to connect college students with platforms, credentials and ecosystems that could shape a new AI-literate workforce.—
Melody Brue,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Also spotted hanging out with the aforementioned Romy Mars at the launch of Sofia Coppola’s new Chanel Haute Couture publication, could this be a sign that the band of TikTok-literate offspring is recruiting for its newest members?—
Olivia Allen,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
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The film is a mess, opaque in its argument and tiring in its effortful weirdness, and yet in its best moments has a hypnotic pull.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For organizations that are serious about modernizing their platforms and adopting AI to drive efficiency and growth, intelligent archiving should be a core part of their digital transformation and data readiness strategies.—
Sean Nathaniel,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
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Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting— and one of the finest actors ever.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.—
Will Collins,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
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Or, the formula comes in a radiant finish, which both makeup artists love for dull or tired skin in need of a pick-me-up.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The mind becomes analytical and cerebral due to the Virgo energy.—
Lisa Stardust,
Refinery29,
18 Sep. 2025
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The Democratic Party is in shambles because it has become consumed by leadership that wants to have cerebral debates over abstract concepts, and the Republican Party brand, vis-à-vis its own leadership, fails to appeal to greater masses because of its fascination with uninformed arrogance.—
Fabian Naranjo Gonzalez,
Oc Register,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Such subtlety may not necessarily be what readers—perhaps American readers, in particular—expect from political fiction, which can have a reputation for being didactic and heavy-handed, designed to beat readers over the head, as if anything political were made in the mode of Soviet realism.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
5 Sep. 2025
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Curiosity is almost a like a science, didactic and patient.—
Alexandra Bregman,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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