garrulous

[ gar-uh-luhs, gar-yuh- ]

adjective

1. excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters.

   Synonyms: babbling

   Antonyms: taciturn, uncommunicative, reticent

2. wordy or diffuse:

   a garrulous and boring speech.

   Synonyms: prolix, verbose

garrulous

/ ɡæˈruːlɪtɪ; ˈɡærʊləs /

adjective

1. given to constant and frivolous chatter; loquacious; talkative
2. wordy or diffuse; prolix

Derived Forms

• ˈgarrulously, adverb
• ˈgarrulousness, noun

Other Words From

• garru·lous·ly adverb
• garru·lous·ness noun
• non·garru·lous adjective
• non·garru·lous·ly adverb
• non·garru·lous·ness noun
• un·garru·lous adjective
• un·garru·lous·ly adverb
• un·garru·lous·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of garrulous¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin garrulus “talkative, garrulous,” equivalent to garr(īre) ) “to chatter” + -ulus -ulous

Word History and Origins

Origin of garrulous¹

C17: from Latin garrulus, from garrīre to chatter

Synonym Study

See talkative.

Example Sentences

Mr. Moes saw Mr. Trump’s verbal mistakes as the foreseeable gaffes of a garrulous candidate, not as signs of aging.

From New York Times

Somebody who is always garrulous and tends to go off on tangents when speaking may do this more frequently.

From Salon

The academy eventually instituted a 45-second time limit and directed the orchestra to play garrulous winners off stage.

From Los Angeles Times

Everyone knows now that he's been fighting a stutter all his life but Biden's also one of those garrulous old-style East Coast politicians who tell stories and flit from subject to subject.

From Salon

A garrulous color commentator for the Detroit Red Wings hockey team, he said he was not ready to resort to medication.

From New York Times

Related Words

• chatty
• glib
• loquacious
• voluble