garrulous

adjective

gar·​ru·​lous ˈger-ə-ləs 

ˈga-rə-,

 also  ˈger-yə-

1

: given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative

2

: wordy sense 1

garrulous speeches

garrulously adverb

garrulousness noun

Did you know?

We all know someone who blabs, gabs, or even confabs a little longer than necessary. You might refer to such a person as a chatty Cathy, but “garrulous Gary” would also make a perfectly apt nom de guerre. Garrulous, after all, is a 17th century Latin borrowing that has its origin in garrīre, meaning “to chatter, talk rapidly.” That Latin root is probably imitative in origin—that is, it was coined to imitate what it refers to. English has a number of words that are imitative in origin, among them several others that can describe the actions of that one friend who does all the talking, such as babble and chatter.

Synonyms

• talkative

Choose the Right Synonym for garrulous

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 garrulous in a Sentence

Salman grew ever more garrulous as the yellow liquid in the bottle went down; Baal couldn't recall when he'd last heard anyone talk up such a storm. —Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses, 1989

To an American reader in 1982, confronted with this garrulous, indefatigably quirky, I'm-just-typing-on-yellow-paper-and-associating-ideas-and-memories prose work of 1936, such a judgment, by a presumably informed person, seems preposterous. —Joyce Carol Oates, New York Times Book Review, 3 Oct. 1982

He was not garrulous by any means. On the contrary, there was a fine reserve in his manner toward the entire domestic economy of his life which was all that is comprehended by the popular term, gentlemanly. —Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie, 1900

He became more garrulous after drinking a couple of beers.

a garrulous boy who was in constant trouble for talking out of turn

Recent Examples on the Web

But most unforgettable are the fantastic driving sequences and the almost casually riveting performances — with James Taylor making for a perfectly intense (and surprisingly charismatic) lead, an ideal foil for the garrulous, slightly helpless Oates. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025

Yet while the family, in all its whirling, garrulous energy, appears outwardly welcoming to the newcomer, Marina soon encounters limits to their acceptance. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 21 May 2025

And yet, there is no place Bret, the more garrulous of the two brothers and host of the Bret Boone Podcast, would rather be (Bret and Aaron also have a younger brother, Matthew, who played minor-league baseball). —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 20 May 2025

Affleck, of course, has always been a more garrulous, charismatic screen presence. —Jake Coyle, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin garrulus, from garrīre "to chatter, talk rapidly" (probably of imitative origin) + -ulus, deverbal suffix denoting inclination or repetitive action (going back to Indo-European -l-, participial suffix) — more at -ous

Note: For possible relation to a proposed Indo-European base *ǵeh₂r-, see care entry 1.

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for garrulous

• carolus
• perilous
• querulous
• puberulous

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Kids Definition

garrulous

adjective

gar·​ru·​lous ˈgar-ə-ləs 

: overly talkative

garrulously adverb

garrulousness noun