pedant

as in teacher
disapproving a person who annoys other people by correcting small errors and giving too much attention to minor details They found the professor to be a dull pedant more concerned with the intricacies of punctuation than the craft of writing.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pedant True, big global history is not for pedants and must be selective to remain accessible. Walter Scheidel, Foreign Affairs, 19 Apr. 2022 This Jet Ski Is Not a Jet Ski Incidentally, for the pedants out there (WIRED salutes you), technically this is not a jet ski, but a personal watercraft, or PWC. WIRED, 18 Nov. 2023 View More As knowledge of Greek has become more exotic—the mark of pedants, nerds, and graduates of expensive schools—capturing the barbarism of ancient Greek, and of the ancient Greeks themselves, has become harder. Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2023 Want to annoy an investing pedant? Spencer Jakab, WSJ, 13 Feb. 2023 In a one-off release, Tiffany & Co. has transformed a CryptoPunks NFT (#3167) into a rose gold-and-enamel pedant for its owner, the brand’s vice president Alexandre Arnault. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2022 The highest-energy moment comes when Rob Brydon and David Mitchell have a pedant off about Jeremy Clarkson’s firing. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2022 WoodAllGood’s galaxy pedant is perfect for the person in your life who loves a necklace with a bit of shimmer and glow—and one that happens to reflect the stars and colors of the night sky. Fortune, 18 Nov. 2021 While its sister show Jeopardy is better known as a pedant's paradise (misspeaking or misspelling has long been known to sink contestants), every now and then Wheel of Fortune gets in on the action. Tyler Aquilina, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pedant
Noun
  • Information on a memorandum of understanding between the district and the Teachers Like Me Program to offer teacher recruitment services and guidance.
    Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2025
  • Tamara’s teacher, Oleh Hodovaniuk, told CNN Monday was a very difficult day for the school.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • On March 17, 1947, Christensen gathered with other flight instructors at a naval air base in Glenview, Illinois.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 26 May 2025
  • She's been a race director, a recruiter for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach.
    Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 23 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pedant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pedant. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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