Make Your Point > Archived Issues > VERBOSE

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pronounce VERBOSE: Say it "vur BOSE." To hear it, click here. connect this word to others: From Star Trek: The Original Series: If you're verbose, like Jim here, maybe you enjoy hearing yourself talk. Maybe you get paid by the word. Either way, you tend to go on and on. See if you can recall these fun, sophisticated synonyms of verbose: 1. Someone garr___us talks a lot, often about stuff that doesn't matter. 2. Someone loqu____us is highly talkative, especially on certain topics they love. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) definition: "Verbose" has Latin bits meaning "full of words, or abounding in words." Verbose people and things are too wordy: they go on for too long, using too many words. grammatical bits: Part of speech: Adjective: "a verbose description;" "This author is too verbose for my taste." Other forms:  The adverb is "verbosely." For a noun, you can use "verbosity" (say it "ver BOSS ih tee"), which you can make plural: "We need to scrub out these verbosities." Or, if you prefer, use "verboseness." how to use it: "Verbose" is a mild insult. It's a fun, sophisticated, semi-common alternative to more casual words like "talkative," "chatty," "gabby," and "rambling." You might talk about verbose people and characters, or about their verbose speech, writing, answers, explanations, etc. examples: "Much like Vin Diesel, the actor who plays him, [Groot is] not the world's most inspired conversationalist. His vocabulary is limited to 'I am Groot.' ... For more nuanced thoughts, his best friend and business partner—a verbose genetically modified raccoon—is usually on hand to interpret."    — Sarah Todd, Salon, 8 August 2014 "Neither a maverick nor a visionary, [Herman Mankiewicz is] an alienated insider, a participant observer, a kibitzer at the table where the big guys make the big bets. Which may just be a verbose way of saying that he's a writer."    — A. O. Scott, New York Times, 3 December 2020 has this page helped you understand "verbose"? Awesome, I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know! If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. study it: Explain the meaning of "verbose" without saying "wordy" or "bloated with words." try it out: In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Americanah, there's a perfect depiction of verbosity: "It could be a product rebranding, a fashion show, an album launch... There were always two or three meandering speeches, and all of them seemed written by the same verbose, insincere person. The wealthy and the famous were recognized—'We wish to recognize in our presence the former governor of...'" Ugh! It's a chore to listen to verbosity. Can you think of a person--someone you know, or some public figure--who makes verbose speeches? In your opinion, does this speaker also seem insincere? Or generic? Or pandering to some group of people? If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.) before you review, play: Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out. Our game this month is Apt Adjective Anagrams! I'll invent a person's name and a brief description, and you unscramble the letters in their name to form an adjective that aptly describes the person or the person's situation. For example: Carl Rebe has three advanced degrees. You rearrange the letters in "Carl Rebe" to form the adjective "cerebral," meaning "brainy, smart, or intellectual.” Sentimental movies always bring Martin Devesto to tears? He’s demonstrative. Lilian Tulip is dainty in the extreme? She’s lilliputian. Tia Fauns runs a sweatshop and is filthy rich? Perhaps she made a bargain with the devil, because her lifestyle is Faustian. To see the answer, scroll all the way down. Try this one today: Brad Li is always ready with a hilarious joke, the kind you can't repeat in polite company. review this word: 1. The opposite of VERBOSE is A. ADVERSE: harmful, unhelpful, or undesirable. B. TERSE: making a point with a minimum of words. C. JOCOSE: playful and joking in a lighthearted way. 2. On the subreddit "IncreasinglyVerbose," you'll find posts such as _____. A. lists of books that have been banned for mind-bogglingly stupid reasons B. discussion of the new law in California that allows people to be composted after death, a more environmentally-friendly option than cremation C. the lyrics to "Call Me Maybe" refashioned as "If you find it within the realms of feasibility, enter this string of integers into your own transmission device in order for us to initiate an audible two-way connection via a telecommunication network" Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. C Answer to the game question: He and his jokes are ribald. a final word: I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.