polysyllabic

adjective poly·syl·lab·ic \ ˌpä-lē-sə-ˈla-bik \

Definition of polysyllabic

1 : having more than one and usually more than three syllables

2 : characterized by words of many syllables

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polysyllabically

play \ˌpä-lē-sə-ˈla-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

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Recent Examples of polysyllabic from the Web

The exploits of the polysyllabic heroes of the 1821 rebellion against the Ottoman Empire captivated me long before those of the Hardy Boys did.

— george kalogerakis, New York Times, "Change Is in the Air at the E. B. White Farm," 7 Sep. 2017
Mr. Rodríguez-Lopez’s guitar riffs stop and start, churn and flail; Cedric Bixler-Zavala sings salvos of polysyllabic lyrics, flinging dystopian imagery in all directions.

— jon pareles, New York Times, "At the Drive In Rekindles Its Manic Inferno," 3 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'polysyllabic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.