Word of the Day, October 02: ‘Verbose’

Word of the Day: VERBOSE

Pronunciation: UK /vɜːˈbəʊs/
US /vɚˈboʊs/

Meaning

Verbose describes someone who uses more words than necessary, or something that is unnecessarily long and wordy. It is usually used critically, especially when a speech, explanation or piece of writing could have been much shorter.

Examples for daily usage

• His answer was so verbose that I lost track of the original question.
• The report is informative, but far too verbose.
• She has a tendency to be verbose when explaining simple things.

Origin and history

Verbose comes from the Latin verbosus, meaning “full of words” or “wordy”. It comes from verbum, meaning “word”. The English adjective appeared in the late 17th century.

The related noun verbosity, meaning the use of more words than necessary, is older in English. It dates to the 16th century and comes from Latin verbositas.

Also Read: Word of the Day, October 01: ‘Uproar’ 

Cultural significance and modern usage

Being verbose is not simply about talking a lot. Someone can speak at length without being verbose if every word adds something useful. The criticism comes when extra words make an explanation less clear, less direct or harder to follow.

The word is commonly used for writing, speeches, explanations and conversation. It is also used in computing, where verbose can describe a mode that provides more detailed information about what a programme or system is doing.

Interesting facts

Verbosity is the noun form of verbose.

Verboseness is another noun form, although verbosity is more common.

The related word verbiage also refers to an excess of words, although it can sometimes simply mean wording or language.

Examples from literature

• “the verbose, sentimental foolery which it contained.” — Monday or Tuesday, Virginia Woolf
• “the chemist said ... so arrogant and so verbose at the time of the clubfoot” — Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert

Synonyms

• Wordy
• Long-winded
• Prolix
• Talkative
• Garrulous
• Rambling

Antonyms

• Concise
• Brief
• Succinct
• Terse
• Laconic

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