Or evening, in her starry mantle bright, Precedes the slow majestic train of night; In that still hour the mind excursive roves, A heavenly voice the listening spirit moves.
Source: wiktionary
Excursive
Synonyms for "excursive" (65 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (13)
Adjective(3 words)
Strong matches (20)
Related words (32)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: digressive, discursive, rambling, aberrant, aberrative.
- Sentence evidence is available for excursive, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "excursive".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "excursive"
Keep "excursive" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "excursive" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "excursive", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "excursive" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
2 entriesMore specific
2 entriesdiscursive writingrambling prose
Collocations
6 entriesexcursive analysisexcursive approachexcursive digressionexcursive proseexcursive styleexcursive writing
Inflections
2 entriesmore excursivemost excursive
Derivations
2 entriessimilar
1 entriesSample sentences
4 total sentences available.
Now all his ponderings, however excursive, wheeled round Isabel as their center; and back to her they came again from every excursion; and again derived some new, small germs for wonderment.
Source: wiktionary
By such means he flattered himself that in time he should subvert her fine understanding, and, by the contamination of her hitherto unsullied mind, reduce her to a level with himself,—and this he meditated to effect by slow and gradual operations, through the medium of her imagination, which he had discovered to be warm and excursive;[…]
Source: wiktionary
Then into the quiet room came Susan Nipper and the candles; shortly afterwards, the tea, the Captain, and the excursive Mr Toots, who, as above mentioned, was frequently on the move afterwards, and passed but a restless evening.
Source: wiktionary
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "excursive"?
Closest matches include digressive, discursive, rambling, aberrant, aberrative.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "excursive"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.