as in conversation
talking or a talk between two or more people Thomas Jefferson is said to have been able to participate in knowledgeable discourse on a breathtaking array of subjects
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026 The war with Iran has led to a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric – spilling into political discourse. —Anisah Bagasra, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 21 July 2025 Admissions officers want to see that students will contribute meaningfully to discourse on campus. —Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discourse
Noun
Tanking was one of the major storylines of the 2025-26 regular season, particularly on social media where discourse often focused more on the league’s bad teams than the good ones. —Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 17 Apr. 2026 The war with Iran has led to a surge in anti-Muslim rhetoric – spilling into political discourse. —Anisah Bagasra, The Conversation, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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 Admissions officers want to see that students will contribute meaningfully to discourse on campus. —Christopher Rim, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for discourse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discourse
Noun
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Meaningful conversations between my wife and me are thwarted by her unwillingness to engage in rational discussions.— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
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After that conversation, the Langwell investigators stepped in.— Peter Van Sant, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One cheeky Instagram Reel sees the two sitting across from each other at a table as Bradford pretended to lecture Brunette.— Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
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Should the guy who spends his spare time dodging bullets really be lecturing him on death wishes?— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Just two months ago, multi-generation cattle rancher Joe Fischer spoke about the pressures of keeping his operation running.— Conor McGill, CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026
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Today, however, parents can receive updates immediately and respond just as quickly — sometimes before even speaking with their child.— Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Meaningful conversations between my wife and me are thwarted by her unwillingness to engage in rational discussions.— R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 12 Apr. 2026
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The negotiators discussed the Strait of Hormuz, Baghaei said, but did not mention discussion of nuclear weapons.— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Reis talked her way onto a crew member’s unofficial salvage expedition.— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
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His content is best known for his spontaneous interactions, such as stopping to talk with strangers on the roadside or offering impromptu taxi services.— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Most presidents have treated it as a chance to note their accomplishments, to harangue Congress into supporting their priorities, and to speak to the American people.— Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 25 Feb. 2026
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After haranguing the receptionist, he was eventually granted a 15-minute audience with Fujita, who advised his teenage devotee to focus on future technologies like computers.— Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Inside this building, generations of artists a century apart converse about similarly distressing and awe-inducing encounters between us and our technological creations.— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 19 Mar. 2026
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The two converse as if Janet is a hostage on a permanent Zoom call, always sitting in the same room, in the same clothes, talking to the same nonexistent camera.— Ben Travers, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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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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Providence doesn’t give you a Latin teacher for a mother without consequence: Samy declaimed classical locutions with scandalous ease.— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Discourse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/discourse. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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