Word of the Day

: July 11, 2023

loquacious

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adjective loh-KWAY-shus

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What It Means

Someone described as loquacious might also be called wordy (prone to using more words than considered necessary when talking) or garrulous (tending to talking a lot).

// She's the loquacious host of a weekly news podcast.

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loquacious in Context

“He is the most well-read city commissioner on issues, policies and governance. He is not the most loquacious commissioner, just the most listened to.” The Gainesville (Florida) Sun, 24 July 2022

Did You Know?

Loquacious undeniably has a certain poetic ring. It’s been a favorite of the writerly sort since it made its first appearance in English in the 17th century and, with poetic license, writers stretched its meaning beyond “talkative,” and especially “excessively talkative,” to describe such things as the chattering of birds and the babbling of brooks. The ultimate source of all this chattiness is loquī, a Latin verb meaning “to talk, speak.” Other words descended from loquī include colloquial, eloquent, soliloquy, and ventriloquism.

Word Family Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete a noun derived from Latin loquī (“to talk, speak”) that refers to the art of effective public speaking: _ l o c _ t _ _ n.

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