as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
the studio's statement that "the film's earnings did not live up to expectations" was a circumlocutory admission that the movie was a flop
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocutory
Adjective
-
Blackened with volcanic rock and encircled by towering waves, the tumultuous scenery makes a vivid psychic landscape for So Help Me God, a rambling spell of ’70s-era soul and exuberant orchestral folk-pop that sweeps through the fog of heartbreak and the clarity of self-discovery.—
Kiana Mickles,
Pitchfork,
15 June 2026 -
Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae) is a large, rambling rose that can quickly grow up to 20 feet long.—
Daniel Scott,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Ronald, who with his shock of white hair and prolix tendencies comes off like a frazzled professor, keeps to a more limited circuit writing out of his house and his office.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Llorca recalls the technician being talkative and upbeat throughout most of the exam.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
Some cat breeds are particularly chatty, and their talkative nature is perfectly normal.—
Madeline Gunderson,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Lunny quickly follows up her verbose stance with an apology.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
16 June 2026
-
To that, the verbose CEO pumped up HBO and streamer HBO Max as the real crown jewels in the WBD empire.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Tamerra Griffin and Carl Anka recap the USMNT’s dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay by diving into the circuitous journey of two-goal hero Folarin Balogun with senior soccer writer Paul Tenorio.—
The Athletic,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
That trip provided the source material for The Professional, a circuitous fish-out-of-water travelogue that serves as a meditation on the contradictions of performing music as a non-musician.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Among them was a December 2024 lesson about Christmas that featured Zwarte Piet, or Black Pete, a controversial Dutch holiday character known as a helper to Santa Claus who is depicted with exaggerated, racist physical features — including large red lips.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
-
But the film received criticism in the aftermath of its release, with some naysayers accusing it of being alarmist or exaggerated.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Legal opinions tend to be dry, wordy, and intentionally vague.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Conrad is full of wordy comic dialogue that often sings in its idiosyncrasy but also elicits little more than a chuckle.—
Andy Andersen,
Vulture,
9 Mar. 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Circumlocutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocutory. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
