Synonyms of wordy

wordy

adjective

ˈwər-dē 

1

as in rambling

using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea

her writing style is far too wordy for my tastes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rambling
• talkative
• prolix
• verbose
• exaggerated
• long-winded
• communicative
• circuitous
• redundant
• pleonastic
• diffuse
• conversational
• garrulous
• circumlocutory
• windy
• logorrheic
• talky
• loquacious
• repetitious
• voluble
• chatty
• periphrastic
• tautological
• tautologous
• bombastic
• gabby
• gaseous
• grandiloquent
• gassy
• embroidered
• embellished
• highfalutin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• concise
• succinct
• pithy
• terse
• brief
• short
• compact
• crisp
• summary
• epigrammatic
• abbreviated
• sententious
• condensed
• aphoristic
• blunt
• abridged
• abrupt
• laconic
• curt
• brusque
• compendious
• shortened
• snippy

2

as in verbal

of or relating to words or language

the neighborhood dispute escalated into a wordy war conducted through angry letters to the editor in the local paper

Synonyms & Similar Words

• verbal
• linguistic
• communicative
• rhetorical
• lexical
• vocabular
• conversational

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• nonverbal
• nonlinguistic
• nonlexical

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective wordy differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of wordy are diffuse, prolix, and verbose. While all these words mean "using more words than necessary to express thought," wordy may also imply loquaciousness or garrulity.

a wordy speech

When would diffuse be a good substitute for wordy?

The synonyms diffuse and wordy are sometimes interchangeable, but diffuse stresses lack of compactness and pointedness of style.

diffuse memoirs that are so many shaggy-dog stories

When is it sensible to use prolix instead of wordy?

The words prolix and wordy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, prolix suggests unreasonable and tedious dwelling on details.

habitually transformed brief anecdotes into prolix sagas

When can verbose be used instead of wordy?

While in some cases nearly identical to wordy, verbose suggests a resulting dullness, obscurity, or lack of incisiveness or precision.

the verbose position papers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of wordy

Legal opinions tend to be dry, wordy, and intentionally vague. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2026

Conrad is full of wordy comic dialogue that often sings in its idiosyncrasy but also elicits little more than a chuckle. — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026

During a Moon-Pluto trine with Luna in your connected 7th house and Pluto in your wordy 3rd house, you’re called to strengthen your agreements through open dialogue. — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 24 Feb. 2026

When ideas become too wordy or overloaded with information, the point gets buried, the value gets lost, and audiences struggle to see the connection between what’s being said and what matters at the enterprise level. — Elizabeth Freedman, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026