declamatory

[dih-klam-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee]

adjective

1. pertaining to or characterized by declamation.

2. merely oratorical or rhetorical; stilted.

   a pompous, declamatory manner of speech.

declamatory

/ dɪˈklæmətərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. relating to or having the characteristics of a declamation

2. merely rhetorical; empty and bombastic

Other Word Forms

• nondeclamatory adjective
• superdeclamatory adjective
• undeclamatory adjective
• declamatorily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of declamatory¹

1575–85; < Latin dēclāmātōrius, equivalent to dēclāmā ( re ) ( declaim ) + -tōrius -tory ¹

Example Sentences

The language of the play moves freely from the declamatory to the profane, with some of its funniest moments occurring when fury impels a character to unleash some naughty modern vernacular.

From Los Angeles Times

Singing in an alternately declamatory and crooning baritone, Mr. Keith cultivated a boisterous, in-your-face persona with recordings like “I Wanna Talk About Me” and “Beer for My Horses.”

From New York Times

That starts with the declamatory choice to populate historically white genres with predominantly Black casts.

From Los Angeles Times

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

The characters speak in dramatic, declamatory French, as if in a 19th-century play, and their costumes range from corseted dresses and shabby tailcoats to power suits and leather jackets.

From New York Times