circumlocutory

adjective

Definition of circumlocutorynext
as in rambling
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea the studio's statement that "the film's earnings did not live up to expectations" was a circumlocutory admission that the movie was a flop

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocutory
  1. rambling
  2. prolix
  3. talkative
  4. verbose
  5. circuitous
  6. exaggerated
  7. wordy
Adjective
  • Honeysuckle The warm, heady, floral scent of honeysuckle, which is strongest at dusk, is instantly recognizable, and the romantically rambling vines and tubular blooms make the climbing varieties cottage-garden classics.
    — Gemma Johnstone, The Spruce, 22 June 2026
  • Vocals have an offhand nonchalance instead of hogging the spotlight, melodies sneak up on you rather than announce themselves, and the guitars avoid crunchy riffs and overdriven twang in favor of tart rambling and clean supporting chords.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 19 June 2026
Definition of rambling
Adjective
  • Even the blandest overtures can whip him into a frantic, pornographic, prolix ecstasy.
    — Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The album is a concise, 10-song set, a deliberate contrast to prolix streaming-era albums like the ones released lately by Taylor Swift and Beyoncé.
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 17 May 2024
Definition of prolix
Adjective
  • Once again, Mehl concluded that men and women were equally talkative.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 8 July 2026
  • Breed can impact a cat's personality, as some tend to be more talkative or cuddly.
    — Madeline Gunderson, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of talkative
Adjective
  • Road to Glory has gotten a bit deeper with a more verbose high school experience.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
  • Joining the verbose frontman in the lineup are guitarist Matt Douglas and drummer Jon Wurster, as expected, but not Peter Hughes, who left the band in 2024 after 30 years.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of verbose
Adjective
  • More than a decade older than some of her competitors, Ohashi can’t help but giggle at how circuitous her path has been.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Unlike an iPhone software update, which just involves going to Settings and choosing Software Update, the route here is a little more circuitous.
    — David Phelan, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Definition of circuitous
Adjective
  • In the clip, the robot performs exaggerated, erratic movements, raising its arms into a martial arts-style fighting stance before lunging toward people around it.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026
  • There were new rules announced pre-tournament to minimise timewasting via exaggerated injuries or via substitutions.
    — Adam Crafton, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of exaggerated
Adjective
  • Some card descriptions are a bit wordy, forcing pauses to reread during your first attempts.
    — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2026
  • Here are the full tiebreaker rules from FIFA for teams that have the same number of points following their three group stage matches (plus a quick translation for a couple of the wordier tiebreakers).
    — Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of wordy
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

circumlocution
circumlocutory
circumnavigate
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Cite this Entry

“Circumlocutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocutory. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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