CIRCUMLOCUTORY Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

circumlocutory

adjective

Definition of circumlocutory

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for circumlocutory

Adjective

And then there’s the Kiyosaki residence, a rambling Moroccan fantasia with muddy adobe walls and a pink door.

— Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
In the podcast, conversations with guests are interspersed with rambling reflections from Von, who is open about his past issues with substance abuse.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 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

There’s no excuse for wheeling in some talkative NPC just to explain why the townsfolk are acting skittish.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Than Constantly Direct Parents may naturally focus on how energetic, friendly, or talkative a teacher appears.

— Jose Bolaños, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of talkative

Adjective

The loudest or most verbose person in the meeting does not automatically ‘win’ every conversation.

— Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Both Laertes and Polonius are gender-swapped in this production, with Patrice Egleston playing the verbose mother of two daughters instead of a son and a daughter — a change that subtly shifts the dynamics in this family of women.

— Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Definition of verbose

Adjective

BepiColombo launched in October 2018 and took a long, looping and highly circuitous route toward Mercury our solar system's innermost planet.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Stephen Hunt, chief development officer for VRT, told the council that virtually every rider complaint from long waits at the Senior Center to circuitous routes traced back to a lack of funding rather than mismanagement.

— Noah Daly August 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of circuitous

Adjective

Andrew Tate, however, testified last week that much of the image was exaggerated entertainment and marketing.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
Designers have been adding some edge and modernity to the style by designing pumps with an exaggerated pointed toe and lower-cut vamps that reveal more of the foot.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of exaggerated

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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“Circumlocutory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/circumlocutory. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumlocutory

adjective

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