EXCURSIVE Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

excursive

adjective

ik-ˈskər-siv

Definition of excursive

as in rambling

passing from one topic to another an excursive story line that some readers of Melville's novel find very rewarding

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for excursive

Adjective

After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.

— Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
The rambling result is friendly and approachable—a one-level house with plenty of room for entertaining guests, as well as thoughtful steal-away spaces for catching your breath.

— Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of rambling

Adjective

Despite this informal, jam-forward approach, however, Silk Fence appear to be chasing something; an understated but steady coherence gives direction to even their most wandering moments.

— Reed Jackson, SPIN, 6 Oct. 2026
Johnny JeanBaptiste, 36, and Stacia McMillian, 32, were charged with one count of child neglect without great bodily harm after deputies responded to the report of the wandering toddler, officials said.

— Felix Rodriguez, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of wandering

Adjective

The prolific, award-winning British author’s novels are often plotless, discursive and frustratingly obtuse.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
And yet this metafictional doubling—in which people appear simultaneously as themselves and with a set of fictional flourishes—has the side effect of undermining the discursive conceit of the text.

— Maya Binyam, New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of discursive

Adjective

The meeting came as indirect talks between Washington and Tehran have yet to yield meaningful progress.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 5 Oct. 2026
The war in Yemen, which began in March 2015, had killed 377,000 people by the end of 2021, including those killed by direct and indirect causes, according to the United Nations.

— Tim Lister, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of indirect

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Browse Nearby Words

excursions

excursive

excursively

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“Excursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/excursive. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of excursive

adjective

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