To express one's opinions or judgements in a dogmatic, pompous, and often arrogant manner. It implies speaking authoritatively on a subject, often without sufficient knowledge or consideration of opposing viewpoints. The act of pontificating typically involves lengthy pronouncements that may be perceived as self-important or lecturing. While it can sometimes suggest an earnest attempt at explaining a complex topic, the negative connotations highlight the potential for condescension, intellectual dishonesty, or a desire to dominate a conversation. Essentially, pontificating is to lecture and give opinions with an air of superiority.
Pontificate meaning with examples
- During the town hall meeting, the mayor began to pontificate on the virtues of the new development, ignoring the resident's legitimate concerns about traffic congestion and environmental impact. His pronouncements were met with visible frustration.
- The history professor would often pontificate about the nuances of ancient civilizations, seemingly unaware that many students had difficulty keeping up with the depth and speed of his monologue. The class felt talked down to.
- At the family gathering, Uncle Joe always loved to pontificate about politics, making sure everyone understood his perspective and that anyone who disagreed was ignorant or misinformed. Nobody dared interrupt.
- The article criticized the financial expert for pontificating about the market's future based on limited data, displaying a lack of humility and overconfidence in his predictions. He was called out.
- Instead of addressing the technical problem, the tech lead started to pontificate on his personal philosophy of software design, which lost the team. They had to cut him off.
Pontificate Crossword Answers
4 Letters
RANT
5 Letters
ORATE OPINE
6 Letters
PAPACY
13 Letters
LAYDOWNTHELAW