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 Timbaland has gone beyond rhetoric, co-founding Stage Zero, an AI entertainment company whose projects include TaTa, an AI artist. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026 Still, anti-vaccine rhetoric, misinformation, and disinformation have shaken confidence in the vaccine, driving down vaccination rates. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 25 Aug. 2026 Why Vaccines Rates Are Still in Decline A county’s or state’s total vaccination rates may reflect a combination of state and local laws, community customs, individual beliefs—and the influence of antivaccine rhetoric. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026 That lofty rhetoric will now meet reality, demonstrating how much economic pain a nation is willing to face to secure its political sovereignty. — Sara Miller Llana, Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rhetoric

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rhetoric

Noun

The new system is currently located about 330 miles southeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with winds of 45 mph.

— Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
As of Sunday morning, the Hawk Fire was 0% contained and was moving in different directions as the winds changed, complicating the fight.

— CBS News, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of wind

Noun

Ever the writer, Parton managed to find some poetry and deeper meaning in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an I-65 rest stop.

— Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 25 Aug. 2026
The film chronicles Oliver’s early years as a writer, the people and places that shaped her work and the celebrated poetry that eventually earned her widespread recognition.

— Lizzie Hyman, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of poetry

Noun

Highlights include Jinx Jones on guitar, Latin jazz fusion from Charged Particles, Americana from Keystone Canyon and a Uke Jam.

— Linda Zavoral, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026
As seen with Raye and Dean, London cool-girl style meets retro jazz crooner is an aesthetic that’s become ubiquitous among the rising crop of London singers and songwriters with jazz influences.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of jazz

Noun

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
The Eagles reached the Super Bowl in 2022, and Sirianni’s bombast was colorful.

— Zach Berman, New York Times, 20 July 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

See all Nearby Words

Articles Related to rhetoric

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rhetoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rhetoric. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rhetoric

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

The Words of the Week - Sept. 12

The Words of the Week - September 20

Back to School Vocabulary

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rhetoric

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

southpaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes