Meanings
rhetoric1
plural rhetorics · alternative obsolete rhetorick
- countableuncountableThe 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.
2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 531 more example
“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.
2024 December 24, Aaron Pellish, “Trump says he will direct Justice Department to ‘vigorously pursue the death penalty’”, in CNN - countablederogatorysometimesuncountableMeaningless language with an exaggerated style intended to impress.
It’s only so much rhetoric.
rhetoric2
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSynonym of rhetorical.
More synonyms by meaning
nounhigh-flown style; excessive use of verbal ornamentation
nounloud and confused and empty talk
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
rhetoric · noun
- Ancient Greekῥητορῐκή τέχνη (rhētorĭkḗ tékhnē)ellip.
- Ancient Greekῥητορικὴ (rhētorikḕ)
- Latinrhētorica
- Old Frenchrhetorique
- Middle Englishrhetorik, rhetoric
- Englishrhetoric
Inherited from Middle English rhetorik, rhetoric, borrowed from Old French rhetorique, borrowed from Latin rhētorica, borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥητορικὴ (rhētorikḕ), ellipsis of ῥητορῐκή τέχνη (rhētorĭkḗ tékhnē).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →rhetoric · adjective
- Proto-Indo-European*werh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*wéryeti
- Proto-Hellenic*wéřřō
- Ancient Greekεἴρω (eírō)
- Ancient Greekῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr)
- Ancient Greekῥητορικός (rhētorikós)
- Latinrhētoricus
- Old Frenchrhetorique
- Middle Englishrhetorik
- Englishrhetoric
Inherited from Middle English rhetorik, borrowed from Old French rhetorique, borrowed from Latin rhētoricus, borrowed from Ancient Greek ῥητορικός (rhētorikós), from ῥήτωρ (rhḗtōr, “public speaker”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós). By surface analysis, rhetor + -ic.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans retoriek, redekuns
- retoriekart of using language for persuasion
- redekunsart of using language for persuasion
Ancient Greek ῥητορική
- ῥητορική (rhētorikḗ)art of using language for persuasion
Arabic بَلَاغَة, فَصَاحَة
- بَلَاغَة (balāḡa)art of using language for persuasion
- فَصَاحَة (faṣāḥa)art of using language for persuasion
Bulgarian красноре́чие, красноречи́вост
- красноре́чие (krasnoréčie)art of using language for persuasion
- красноречи́вост (krasnorečívost)art of using language for persuasion
- рито́рика (ritórika)art of using language for persuasion
- многосло́вие (mnogoslóvie)meaningless language
Catalan retòrica, retòrica
- retòricaart of using language for persuasion
- retòricameaningless language
Chinese Mandarin 修辭 /修辞, 修辭學 /修辞学
- 修辭 /修辞 (xiūcí)art of using language for persuasion
- 修辭學 /修辞学 (xiūcíxué)art of using language for persuasion
- 強詞奪理 /强词夺理 (qiángcíduólǐ)meaningless language
Czech řečnictví, rétorika
- řečnictvíart of using language for persuasion
- rétorikaart of using language for persuasion
- výřečnostart of using language for persuasion
- rétorikameaningless language
- floskulemeaningless language
Danish retorik, talekunst
- retorikart of using language for persuasion
- talekunstart of using language for persuasion
- retorikmeaningless language
- kancellistilmeaningless language
Dutch redekunde, retorica
- redekundeart of using language for persuasion
- retoricaart of using language for persuasion
- retoriekart of using language for persuasion
Esperanto retoriko
- retorikoart of using language for persuasion
Estonian retoorika
- retoorikaart of using language for persuasion
Finnish puhetaito, retoriikka
- puhetaitoart of using language for persuasion
- retoriikkaart of using language for persuasion
- retoriikkameaningless language
French rhétorique, discours
- rhétoriqueart of using language for persuasion
- discoursart of using language for persuasion
- rhétoriquemeaningless language
German Rhetorik, Redekunst
- Rhetorikart of using language for persuasion
- Redekunstart of using language for persuasion
Greek ρητορική
- ρητορική (ritorikí)art of using language for persuasion
Hebrew רֶטוֹרִיקָה
- רֶטוֹרִיקָה (retórika)art of using language for persuasion
Hindi वाक्पटुता, शब्दाडम्बर
- वाक्पटुता (vākpaṭutā)art of using language for persuasion
- शब्दाडम्बर (śabdāḍambar)art of using language for persuasion
- वक्रपटुता (vakrapṭutā)art of using language for persuasion
- बलाग़त (balāġat)art of using language for persuasion
- फ़साहत (fasāhat)art of using language for persuasion
Hungarian szónoklattan, retorika
- szónoklattanart of using language for persuasion
- retorikaart of using language for persuasion
Indonesian retorika
- retorikaart of using language for persuasion
Irish reitric, roscaireacht
- reitricart of using language for persuasion
- roscaireachtart of using language for persuasion
- reitricmeaningless language
- roscaireachtmeaningless language
Italian retorica
- retoricaart of using language for persuasion
Japanese 修辞学
- 修辞学 (shūjigaku)art of using language for persuasion
Korean 수사학, 미사여구
- 수사학 (susahak)art of using language for persuasion
- 미사여구 (misayeogu)art of using language for persuasion
Latvian retorika
- retorikaart of using language for persuasion
Lithuanian retorika
- retorikaart of using language for persuasion
Malay ريتوريک, retorik
- ريتوريکart of using language for persuasion
- retorikart of using language for persuasion
Norwegian Bokmål retorikk
- retorikkart of using language for persuasion
Persian بَلَاغَت, فَصَاحَت
- بَلَاغَت (balāġat)art of using language for persuasion
- فَصَاحَت (fasāhat)art of using language for persuasion
Polish retoryka, pustosłowie
- retorykaart of using language for persuasion
- pustosłowiemeaningless language
Portuguese retórica, retórica
- retóricaart of using language for persuasion
- retóricameaningless language
Punjabi ਬਲਾਗ਼ਤ, ਫ਼ਸਾਹਤ
- ਬਲਾਗ਼ਤ (balāġat)art of using language for persuasion
- ਫ਼ਸਾਹਤ (fasāhat)art of using language for persuasion
Romanian retorică
- retoricăart of using language for persuasion
Russian красноре́чие, красноба́йство
- красноре́чие (krasnoréčije)art of using language for persuasion
- красноба́йство (krasnobájstvo)art of using language for persuasion
- рито́рика (ritórika)art of using language for persuasion
- пустосло́вие (pustoslóvije)meaningless language
- фразёрство (frazjórstvo)meaningless language
- словоблу́дие (slovoblúdije)meaningless language
- пустозво́нство (pustozvónstvo)meaningless language
Slovak rečníctvo, rétorika
- rečníctvoart of using language for persuasion
- rétorikaart of using language for persuasion
- výrečnosťart of using language for persuasion
Spanish retórica
- retóricaart of using language for persuasion
Swedish retorik
- retorikart of using language for persuasion
Tagalog sayusay
- sayusayart of using language for persuasion
Thai วาทศิลป์, วาทศาสตร์
- วาทศิลป์ (waa-tá-sǐn)art of using language for persuasion
- วาทศาสตร์ (waa-tá-sàat)art of using language for persuasion
Turkish retorik, belagat
- retorikart of using language for persuasion
- belagatart of using language for persuasion
Ukrainian красномо́вство, красномо́вність
- красномо́вство (krasnomóvstvo)art of using language for persuasion
- красномо́вність (krasnomóvnistʹ)art of using language for persuasion
- рито́рика (rytóryka)art of using language for persuasion
- багатослі́вність (bahatoslívnistʹ)meaningless language
- марнослі́в'я (marnoslívʺja)meaningless language
- марносло́вство (marnoslóvstvo)meaningless language
- пустослі́в'я (pustoslívʺja)meaningless language
- словоблу́дство (slovoblúdstvo)meaningless language
- словоблу́ддя (slovoblúddja)meaningless language
Urdu بَلَاغَت, فَصَاحَت
- بَلَاغَت (balāġat)art of using language for persuasion
- فَصَاحَت (fasāhat)art of using language for persuasion
Vietnamese tu từ học
- tu từ họcart of using language for persuasion
Cite this entry
rhetoric. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetoric
“rhetoric.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetoric. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rhetoric,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rhetoric.
Source: rhetoric on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.