1
as in scholarly
marked by or given to showing knowledge in a showy way The writing was overly complex and pedantic, which made it nearly impossible to understand for anyone but a specialist. The speech was thoroughly researched and well structured, but too pedantic to appeal to a general audience.
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2
as in boring
causing weariness or lack of interest I found the author's writing informative but dreadfully pedantic.
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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 pedantic Sure, Pittsburgh Trauma being a teaching hospital naturally lends to scenes of literal instruction, but too often the show pushes past procedural necessity into something distractingly pedantic, even patronizing. —
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026 If only a pedantic stance could ease Americans’ fears that health care coverage will be out of reach for them in 2026. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025 Instead of focusing on the defense industrial base, the upcoming national defense strategy, or preparing to face threats across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, Hegseth talked about fitness tests and haircuts, coming across as pedantic for a room of seasoned commanders, the staffer said. —Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025 Greengrass uses the scene where the bus becomes stationary as an example of conveying feelings without being pedantic. —Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2026 If only a pedantic stance could ease Americans’ fears that health care coverage will be out of reach for them in 2026. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 20 Dec. 2025 Instead of focusing on the defense industrial base, the upcoming national defense strategy, or preparing to face threats across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, Hegseth talked about fitness tests and haircuts, coming across as pedantic for a room of seasoned commanders, the staffer said. —Anne Flaherty, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2025 Greengrass uses the scene where the bus becomes stationary as an example of conveying feelings without being pedantic. —Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pedantic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedantic
Adjective
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Despite their ubiquity, school yearbooks are a largely untapped source for scholarly inquiry.— Michael A Messner, The Conversation, 22 Apr. 2026
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Path to Open Books on JSTOR The Urgency of Indigenous Values is part of JSTOR’s Path to Open program, which expands access to high-quality scholarly monographs while building a sustainable path to open access.— Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And given all of the drama leading into the event, pretty good marks and a relatively boring draft add up to a win.— Chad Graff, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
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As an interactive greeter, Melody shows how smart AI can turn boring service kiosks into friendly, lifelike conversations.— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 24 Apr. 2026
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While tech-literate consumers might navigate the pitfalls successfully, more vulnerable groups—such as the elderly or those less comfortable with technology—are left wide open to errors and exploitation.— Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Apr. 2026
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The turbulence of the past year brings to mind the sourcing strain of the 2020 pandemic—and the ways companies became more legally literate almost overnight as a matter of survival.— Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Flimsy nozzles crack and leak, and heavy-duty nozzles get tiring to hold when your garden calls for more watering time than your hands can handle.— Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026
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Swift herself talked about how tiring the tour was and what her plans for the future were last October on BBC Radio 1 with Greg James.— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Symptoms in humans can surface weeks after exposure to the disease, and can include cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia and hydrophobia, the fear of water.— Ricardo Delgado, San Antonio Express-News, 13 Apr. 2026
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Last month, the FDA approved its use for cerebral folate deficiency, which is seen in some people with autism.— Bloomberg News, Boston Herald, 13 Apr. 2026
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This product is the one to reach for when your skin looks dull or tired.— Jeaneen Russell, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
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Never a dull day in Frisco with the Dallas Cowboys.— Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Building on earlier Osmo Pocket models, the new version doubles down on image quality and intelligent shooting tools.— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Apr. 2026
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Industry estimates suggest that Tesla shipped fewer than 500 intelligent robots in 2025, highlighting the gap between prototypes and large-scale deployment.— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In a terrifically non-didactic way, Lincoln lets audiences in on the inner workings of governmental warfare.— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
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This might threaten unrelieved angst weighing down a 90-minute drama, or, maybe worse, a didactic, finger-wagging life lesson lecture.— Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pedantic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/pedantic. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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