pedantic

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.

Byrne, on the other hand, gives a worthy performance that saves “Tow” from its own pedantic trappings and functions as a similarly fed-up complement to her character in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You.”

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

The critic James Wood decried Mr. Barnes as “a thoroughly English writer,” meaning that he is clever and pedantic and emotionally repressed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

“One can read entire histories of American car culture and find no mention of Japanese or Asian American involvement,” Wang writes — but that’s about as pedantic as “Cruising J-Town” gets.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

It was almost impressive how she managed to be so pedantic and also bullying at the same time.

From Slate • May 9, 2024

Too many connectives can make it seem as if an author is belaboring the obvious or patronizing the reader, and it can give prose a pedantic feel.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker