discourse 1 of 2

Definition of discoursenext

discourse

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to lecture
to give a formal often extended talk on a subject the guest lecturer discoursed at some length on the long-term results of the war

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
as in to speak
to talk as if giving an important and formal speech grandly discoursed as though he were an expert on every subject

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 discourse
Noun
A lot of that discourse, including what will be depicted as news in media stories about the negotiations, is noise and hyperbole. Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 Death threats and doxxing and a siege on leadership — or lack thereof — are the discourse. Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Verb
The most explicitly political of the year’s major contenders is also the odds-on Best Picture front-runner, which has made OBAA discourse the season’s most inescapable topic. Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2026 The cycle can become so accidentally ubiquitous that the former kids who blissfully existed outside of whatever discourses these trends or bands started in their heyday wonder now, as adults, what was so bad about them in the first place. Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
  • While size representation edged upward on paper, conversations throughout the season were dominated by the return of extreme body ideals, which don’t necessarily show up in our data.
    Amy Francombe, Vogue, 6 July 2026
  • That could shift the NATO conversation from how the alliance helps Ukraine to how Ukraine helps NATO prepare for modern war.
    Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 6 July 2026
Verb
  • Some commentators in the United States have taken the opportunity to lecture Europeans, and perhaps even indulge in a little schadenfreude.
    Thomas Chatterton Williams, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026
  • The work, then, is not to lecture communities into trusting us.
    Tyler Evans, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Verb
  • Security camera footage from a nearby residence showed the Durango parked in a driveway when three suspects approached the vehicle’s driver’s side and spoke engaged with Mitchell, the probable cause statement said.
    Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 7 July 2026
  • Just a few days later, Navratilova spoke by phone about the film, the friendship and their cancer battles.
    Stuart Miller, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • During Thursday evening’s Board of Commissioners meeting, officials unanimously, and with no additional discussion, approved Johnston’s exit agreement and named Assistant County Administrator Alan Howze as his replacement for the rest of the year.
    Sofi Zeman July 2, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Immediately, the call sparked online debate and discussion that will surely continue into next week.
    Ashley Mowreader, NBC news, 3 July 2026
Verb
  • Before assuming the new borrowing limits apply to you, talk with your financial aid office.
    Scott White, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
  • Above, her mother’s brother, Abdullahi Mohamed, cradled a cup of tea in his hands and talked to her parents about their Central Avenue community, the news of the day and the global events that dominated the early 2000s.
    Julia Coin Updated July 2, Charlotte Observer, 2 July 2026
Verb
  • Benatia got a three-month suspension for haranguing a fourth official.
    Tom Williams, New York Times, 17 May 2026
  • While American pundits wrote haranguing op-eds warning that the breaking of diplomatic precedent would prompt China to escalate war, ordinary people in Taiwan celebrated.
    Michelle Kuo, The Dial, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The new hire was Mike Brown, a funny, amiable man, who, at least outwardly, looks to have a converse personality to Thibodeau.
    Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 2 June 2026
  • The bottom line is that Met Gala 2026 will be about fashion that doesn’t just sit on the body, but converses with it and soon the world will see how that translates onto the red carpet.
    Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Woody Harrelson declaims every line, upping the relentless factor of Phil’s mania.
    Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 May 2026
  • More often, though, Tallent demonstrates his characters’ precarity rather than declaiming about it.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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