SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
pontificate
verb
To express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic manner.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Speak dogmatically
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPontificate is usually critical of the speaker's self-importance. Preach and lecture also have neutral uses, so context must supply the criticism.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See pontificate in use
He preferred to pontificate about writing rather than revise his own draft.
One participant became pedantic, interrupting the discussion to insist on a minor formatting rule that did not affect the argument. Another began to pontificate about what all serious writers should believe, though nobody had asked for a speech on the proper purpose of literature.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license