DIGRESSIVE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

digressive

adjective

dī-ˈgre-siv

Definition of digressive

as in rambling

passing from one topic to another a digressive lecture on current events around the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 digressive Like all Kashian’s work, Alter-Kashian is densely packed, and her breakneck, digressive style doesn’t leave much room to come up for air. — Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 30 Mar. 2026 The Friend’s House Is Here, with its relaxed pace and digressive sequences of late-night dinner parties, feels like a minor Godard hangout movie. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2026 This is slightly digressive, but Tunde and his lover, early on in the novel, have this big argument in Lahaina, in Hawaii. — Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025 The novel is detailed, digressive, densely populated, dull at times (as life is) and capable of tracking the most minute shifts in emotional weather. — Mj Franklin, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for digressive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for digressive

Adjective

Dylan Young and his Melbourne group fill their third album with winsome and warm tracks whose best moments combine rambling guitars with tales of bruising regret.

— Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 20 Oct. 2026
After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.

— Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of rambling

Adjective

Stephenson’s storytelling finesse – clever reveals, discursive side quests, stealthy plot twists – shines in this robust tale of British journalist Owen and his globe-spanning search for a missing English earl in 1934.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
The prolific, award-winning British author’s novels are often plotless, discursive and frustratingly obtuse.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of discursive

Browse Nearby Words

digressions

digressive

digressively

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Digressive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/digressive. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of digressive

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes