declamatory
Americanadjective
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pertaining to or characterized by declamation.
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merely oratorical or rhetorical; stilted.
a pompous, declamatory manner of speech.
adjective
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relating to or having the characteristics of a declamation
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merely rhetorical; empty and bombastic
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of declamatory
1575–85; < Latin dēclāmātōrius, equivalent to dēclāmā ( re ) ( see declaim) + -tōrius -tory 1
Explanation
If you say something declamatory, it's full of passion and bluster, like your declamatory speech in debate club about the poor nutritional quality of your school's lunches. Things that are declamatory are strongly felt and expressed with intensity, and they're usually spoken aloud (and loudly). Sometimes this adjective has negative connotations, implying bluster and bombast: "Your essay is so long and declamatory, I felt like I was being shouted at by a showoff." Something declamatory can be called a declamation. The Latin root, declamare, means "to practice public speaking."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These sound particularly good in Morgan’s mouth, with his non-actory, declamatory way of speaking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2026
Hilson’s performance is of a different register than most of the rest of the cast — haltingly realistic in an otherwise declamatory play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2023
Aldridge favored a relatively realistic approach — a striking contrast to the more declamatory, posturing star turns then in vogue.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 21, 2022
And that's on top of the condemnations online and on television, the boycotts and the declamatory emails from universities, banks and corporations.
From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2022
They were not pretty, not declamatory; but noble, grand, strong.
From Biography of Rev. Hosea Ballou by Maturin Murray Ballou
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
