Words for talking
Words for every way a person can talk: too much, too loudly, too grandly, too little, or exactly right.
concise
kuhn-SAHYS, adjective
Saying much clearly in few words.
“His concise summary saved the meeting twenty minutes.”
grumble
GRUHM-buhl, verb
To complain in a low, muttering way.
“He grumbled about the early meeting, then brought donuts anyway.”
mumble
MUHM-buhl, verb
To speak quietly and unclearly.
“She mumbled an apology into her scarf.”
articulate
ahr-TIK-yuh-lit, adjective
Expressing ideas clearly and fluently.
“The most articulate answer came from the quietest student.”
bombastic
bom-BAS-tik, adjective
High-sounding and inflated, with little substance.
“The keynote was bombastic; the release notes told the truth.”
eloquent
EL-uh-kwuhnt, adjective
Fluent, forceful, and persuasive in speaking or writing.
“His eloquent toast left half the wedding in tears.”
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circumlocution
sur-kuhm-loh-KYOO-shuhn, noun
The use of many words where fewer would do, often to be evasive.
“His answer was pure circumlocution, five minutes of talk without a yes or no.”
garrulous
GAR-uh-luhs, adjective
Excessively talkative.
“The garrulous cab driver covered politics, soup, and his cousin’s wedding in one ride.”
laconic
luh-KON-ik, adjective
Using very few words; terse to the point of seeming curt.
“His laconic reply of ‘It works’ closed a three-week email thread.”
loquacious
loh-KWAY-shuhs, adjective
Very talkative.
“Two loquacious hosts, one hour, zero finished sentences.”
raconteur
rak-on-TUR, noun
A skilled teller of stories.
“Every family reunion runs on one raconteur and one long table.”
reticent
RET-ih-suhnt, adjective
Reluctant to speak or reveal one’s thoughts.
“The founder stayed reticent about the acquisition price.”
sesquipedalian
ses-kwih-puh-DAYL-yuhn, adjective
Given to using long words.
“His sesquipedalian emails required a second reading and a dictionary.”
taciturn
TAS-ih-turn, adjective
Habitually quiet and reserved in speech.
“Her taciturn grandfather said more with a raised eyebrow than most do in a speech.”
vociferous
voh-SIF-er-uhs, adjective
Expressing opinions loudly and forcefully.
“The rezoning proposal met vociferous opposition at the town meeting.”
badinage
bad-ih-NAHZH, noun
Light, playful back-and-forth talk.
“Their meetings open with ten minutes of badinage, then budgets.”
deipnosophist
dyp-NOS-uh-fist, noun
A masterful dinner-table conversationalist.
“Seat the deipnosophist mid-table and the party runs itself.”
expatiate
ek-SPAY-shee-ayt, verb
To speak or write at great length on a subject.
“Ask about sourdough and he will expatiate until the loaf cools.”
grandiloquent
gran-DIL-uh-kwuhnt, adjective
Pompous or extravagant in language or style, meant to impress.
“The menu’s grandiloquent description amounted to, essentially, toast.”
logomachy
loh-GOM-uh-kee, noun
A dispute about words rather than substance.
“The standards meeting collapsed into logomachy over ‘shall’ and ‘should.’”
orotund
OR-uh-tund, adjective
Full and resonant in voice; pompously grand in style.
“The announcer’s orotund delivery made bingo sound like opera.”
pleonasm
PLEE-uh-naz-uhm, noun
The use of more words than necessary.
“‘Free gift’ is the pleonasm marketing cannot quit.”
rodomontade
rod-uh-mon-TAYD, noun
Boastful, arrogant talk.
“The pitch deck was forty slides of rodomontade and one number.”
stentorian
sten-TOR-ee-uhn, adjective
Extremely loud and powerful in voice.
“The coach’s stentorian whisper carried three fields over.”
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