pro·lix
prō-ˈliks 
ˈprō-(ˌ)liks
ˈprō-(ˌ)liks
1
: unduly prolonged or drawn out : too long
2
: marked by or using an excess of words
prolixly
adverb
pro·lix·i·ty
prōˈliksətē
-sətē,
-i
plural -es
: the quality or state of being prolix
especially
: undue lengthiness in speaking or writing
his facility carried him … into prolixity —
Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Churchill 
Did you know?
There's no way to talk about prolix without being redundant, verbose, and wordy. That's because the word is a synonym of all of those long-winded terms. Of those words, prolix is the one most likely to suggest unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details. It derives from prolixus, a Latin term meaning "extended" or "copious." Prolixus originated from a combination of the prefix pro- (which means "forward") and the past participle of liquēre, a verb meaning "to be fluid." True to that history, something that is prolix flows on and on.
Examples of prolix in a Sentence
Adjective
The speech was unnecessarily prolix.
a person known for habitually transforming brief anecdotes into prolix sagas that exhaust their listeners
Recent Examples on the Web
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
In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 30 May 2024
His answer is this book: a laudably sincere, exasperatingly prolix and occasionally affecting rumination on the state of Egypt—its society, culture, history and politics—pegged to the maddening bureaucracy of the archive.
—Kapil Komireddi, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2023
A certain type of actor thrives in these prolix circumstances.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2021
Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.
—Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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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
In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.
—Roberta Smith, New York Times, 30 May 2024
His answer is this book: a laudably sincere, exasperatingly prolix and occasionally affecting rumination on the state of Egypt—its society, culture, history and politics—pegged to the maddening bureaucracy of the archive.
—Kapil Komireddi, WSJ, 12 Mar. 2023
A certain type of actor thrives in these prolix circumstances.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2021
Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.
—Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Prolix.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolix. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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