adjective

garrulous

/ˈɡærələs/ · say it: GAR·uh·lus

excessively talkative

In Personality & Character

In more detail

1. (adjective) talking a lot, often about unimportant things; talkative

2. (adjective) containing too many words; wordy

Examples

1. My garrulous uncle told us endless stories at dinner.
2. The garrulous speech went on for hours without making a clear point.

How to use garrulous

Garrulous describes someone who talks excessively, often about trivial matters, or writing that is unnecessarily wordy. It carries a more negative or critical tone than the neutral term talkative, implying that the verbosity is tiresome or self-indulgent. It is more literary and formal than casual synonyms like chatty.

Common phrases

garrulous old man
garrulous speech
garrulous tendency
garrulous manner
garrulous person

Synonyms

talkative · loquacious · verbose · chatty · wordy

Opposites

taciturn · reticent · quiet

Word family

garrulity (noun) · garrulously (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse garrulous with gregarious; garrulous means talkative, while gregarious means sociable or fond of being in groups.

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