wordy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈwər-dē 

wordier; wordiest

1

: using or containing many and usually too many words

2

: of or relating to words : verbal

wordily

ˈwər-də-lē 

adverb

wordiness

ˈwər-dē-nəs 

noun

wordiness

2 of 2

noun

word·​i·​ness -dēnə̇s 

-din-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being wordy

Synonyms of wordy

Adjective

• rambling
• talkative
• prolix

Choose the Right Synonym for wordy

wordy, verbose, prolix, diffuse mean using more words than necessary to express thought.

wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.

a wordy speech

verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.

the verbose position papers

prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.

habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas

diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.

diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

Examples of wordy in a Sentence

Adjective

The original script was too wordy.

her writing style is far too wordy for my tastes

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Afterward, Ashe quipped about taking on Parton’s famously wordy lyrics in front of the room. — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

And finally, if person A utters a needlessly wordy or detailed expression that is technically synonymous with a single term, person B may take A to implicate that the term does not apply to the person or event under discussion. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

When asked to describe duties, for example, things could get wordy fast. — Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 25 July 2026

Some card descriptions are a bit wordy, forcing pauses to reread during your first attempts. — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for wordy

• birdie
• gurdy
• purdy
• sturdy
• thirty

Kids Definition

wordy

adjective

ˈwərd-ē 

wordier; wordiest

: using or containing too many words

wordily

ˈwərd-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

wordiness

ˈwərd-ē-nəs 

noun