loquacious

adjective

lo·​qua·​cious lō-ˈkwā-shəs 

1

: full of excessive talk : wordy

2

: given to fluent or excessive talk : garrulous

loquaciously adverb

loquaciousness noun

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Speaking About the Meaning of Loquacious

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.

Synonyms

• blabby
• chatty
• conversational
• gabby
• garrulous
• motormouthed
• mouthy
• talkative
• talky

Choose the Right Synonym for loquacious

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

Examples of loquacious in a Sentence

… long-cultivated dislikes and resentments, combined with a general expectation of coming apocalypse. He talked about these topics in a manner that managed to be tight-lipped and loquacious at the same time. —Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 22 & 29 Dec. 2003

… the flaw of the genre is not in betraying the loquacious John Williams and the chatty Father Foucquet, but in failing to schedule an interview with the reticent Eunice Williams and the tongue-tied John Hu. —Jill Lepore, Journal of American History, June 2001

With a wonderful memory for detail, this talkative woman—who my father said never forgets anything—became truly loquacious. —Joseph A. Amato, Dust, 2000

a loquacious and glib politician

the loquacious host of a radio talk show

Recent Examples on the Web

At his best, Doom has some of the best dialogue in the business, acting as a muse for his writers’ most loquacious grandeur. —Abraham Josephine Riesman, Vulture, 29 July 2024

Travis Konecny wasn’t in much of a loquacious mood on Monday after one of the Flyers’ final regular-season practices at their training facility. —Kevin Kurz, The Athletic, 8 Apr. 2024

An extremely private person, Steiner lived the nightmare without fanfare, without telling anyone outside of his inner circle, the loquacious storyteller keeping his most important words to himself. —Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2024

Along the way, Strings does lots of talking – lots and lots of talking, loquacious and hambone. —Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin loquāc-, loquāx "talkative, verbose" (from loquī "to talk, speak" + -āc-, deverbal suffix denoting habitual or successful performance) + -ious — more at eloquent, audacious

First Known Use

1634, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

loquacious

adjective

lo·​qua·​cious lō-ˈkwā-shəs 

: very talkative

loquaciously adverb

loquaciousness noun

loquacity

-ˈkwas-ət-ē

noun