rhetoric — ozdic

Collocations

8

1

(noun.)

ADJ

empty, mere

The politician's promises turned out to be mere rhetoric with no real plan to help working families.

militant, powerful, radical | government, official | nationalist, patriotic, political, revolutionary, sectarian

VERB + RHETORIC

adopt, engage in, resort to, use

During the election campaign, both candidates resorted to inflammatory rhetoric to appeal to voters.

PREP

behind/beneath the ~

Beneath all the rhetoric about climate action, the government has actually cut environmental funding.

despite the ~

Despite the rhetoric about protecting the environment, the company continues to pollute the river.

~ about/concerning/on

The government's rhetoric about climate change doesn't match its actual environmental policies.

Definitions

adj

1

Synonym of rhetorical.

noun

1

The art of using language, especially public speaking, as a means to persuade.

Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the survey results were known.

“As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters. We will be a Nation of Law and Order again!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, echoing his long-standing advocacy for use of the death penalty, which was part of his tough-on-crime rhetoric during the 2024 campaign.

2

Meaningless language with an exaggerated style intended to impress.

It’s only so much rhetoric.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — loud and confused and empty talk

palaver

noun — high-flown style

grandiosity
magniloquence
ornateness
grandiloquence

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

Example Bank

6

01

Transport Minister Marples, meanwhile, used arrogant rhetoric and showed his personal contempt for railways when confirming in Parliament that a third of the network was to be closed even before the s

Wiktionary

02

“As soon as I am inaugurated, I will direct the Justice Department to vigorously pursue the death penalty to protect American families and children from violent rapists, murderers, and monsters. We wi

Wiktionary

03

It’s only so much rhetoric.

Wiktionary

04

The end of which there were two little sketches of rhetoric and logic, the latter finishing with a specimen of a dispute in the Socratic method.

Tatoeba · #48891

05

But it's the rhetoric of failure.

Tatoeba · #51261

06

Their pseudo-scientific rhetoric serves as justification for America's imperialist foreign policy.

Tatoeba · #2838714

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, rhetoric is marked as derogatory. Watch for register when choosing this word.