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garrulous

adjective
gar·​ru·​lous | \ ˈger-ə-ləs How to pronounce garrulous (audio) , ˈga-rə- also ˈger-yə-\

Definition of garrulous

1 : given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative
2 : wordy sense 1 garrulous speeches
Other Words from garrulous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about garrulous

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Other Words from garrulous

garrulously adverb
garrulousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for garrulous

talkative, loquacious, garrulous, voluble mean given to talk or talking. talkative may imply a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation. a talkative neighbor loquacious suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly. a loquacious spokesperson garrulous implies prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity. garrulous traveling companions voluble suggests a free, easy, and unending loquacity. a voluble raconteur

Did You Know?

English has many adjectives that share the meaning "given to talk" or "talking." "Talkative" may imply a readiness to talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation, while "loquacious" suggests the power of expressing oneself articulately, fluently, or glibly. "Voluble" suggests a free, easy, and unending talkativeness, and "garrulous" implies talkativeness that is dull, rambling, or tedious. "Garrulous," by the way, derives from the Latin verb garrire, which means (no surprise here) "to chatter" or "to babble."

Examples of garrulous in a Sentence

Salman grew ever more garrulous as the yellow liquid in the bottle went down; Baal couldn't recall when he'd last heard anyone talk up such a storm. — Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses, 1989 To an American reader in 1982, confronted with this garrulous, indefatigably quirky, I'm-just-typing-on-yellow-paper-and-associating-ideas-and-memories prose work of l936, such a judgment, by a presumably informed person, seems preposterous. — Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 3 Oct. 1982
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The hat has become a symbol of us vs. them, of exclusion and suspicion, of garrulous narcissism, of white male privilege, of violence and hate. — Washington Post, "The MAGA hat is not a statement of policy. It’s an inflammatory declaration of identity.," 17 Aug. 2019 The local press, lively and garrulous in the past, has taken on a somewhat muted quality when reporting on subjects of high sensitivity to Beijing. — Gerard Baker, WSJ, "Hong Kong’s Flickering Hopes for Freedom," 21 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'garrulous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of garrulous

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for garrulous

borrowed from Latin garrulus, from garrīre "to chatter, talk rapidly" (probably of imitative origin) + -ulus, deverbal suffix denoting inclination or repetitive action (going back to Indo-European -l-, participial suffix) — more at -ous

Note: For possible relation to a proposed Indo-European base *ǵeh2r-, see care entry 1.

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More Definitions for garrulous

garrulous

adjective
How to pronounce garrulous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of garrulous

: tending to talk a lot : very talkative

See the full definition for garrulous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

garrulous

adjective
gar·​ru·​lous | \ ˈger-ə-ləs How to pronounce garrulous (audio) \

Kids Definition of garrulous

: very talkative

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More from Merriam-Webster on garrulous

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for garrulous

Spanish Central: Translation of garrulous

Nglish: Translation of garrulous for Spanish Speakers

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