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

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.
Recent Examples of wordy A week after the Succession alum made a throwaway joke about a certain someone's wordy speeches, Adrien Brody broke the record for longest Oscars acceptance speech. EW.com, 3 Mar. 2025 Welles gets Dylan comparisons all the time owing to his rough-hewn vocal grain, the harmonica propped up around his face like orthodontic headgear, and a young Bob being the average person’s main reference point for wordy folk music with a bent toward social commentary. Jack Denton, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025 The council majority has claimed that voters were confused by Question 300, saying the measure was too long and wordy. John Aguilar, The Denver Post, 29 Jan. 2025 Vague, wandering, wordy speech habits, for example, force people to work harder to understand you. John Bowe, Contributor, CNBC, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wordy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wordy
Adjective
  • Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
  • In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
    Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • They are not injured, just very loud and talkative.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
  • My favorite early fact about Pope Bob from Chicago comes from his talkative brother John.
    Kathryn Jean Lopez, National Review, 12 May 2025
Adjective
  • Its value depends on the amount of logos, verbal mentions or usages in those seconds, and can cost a brand anywhere from $250,000 to $1 million.
    Matt Craig, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Goalkeeper Joan Garcia has joined from city rivals Espanyol for his €25million ($28.6m; £21.1m) release clause, while Athletic Club’s Nico Williams has agreed verbal terms with Barca, who do not view his €60m clause as an obstacle.
    Pol Ballús, New York Times, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.
    Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
  • In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.
    Roberta Smith, New York Times, 30 May 2024
Adjective
  • This inconsistency suggests that these models fail to account for linguistic differences in the way humans reason and convey causality.
    Siobhan Hanna, Forbes.com, 25 June 2025
  • With this book, Willy’s style began venturing into aberrant linguistic territory.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Which domains are operationally critical and which are purely communicative?
    Daniel Strauss, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Geminis are social, communicative, and witty, so give your child a name that can keep up!
    Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wordy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wordy. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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