Word of the Day

: February 15, 2017

voluble

adjective VAHL-yuh-bul

What It Means

1 : easily rolling or turning : rotating

2 : characterized by ready or rapid speech : glib, fluent

voluble in Context

Having worked as a teacher for almost twenty years, Pamela was voluble on the subject of education.

"At 78, the Dutch-born director is generous and voluble, feeling his way through conversation as if he, too, is curious about what he will say next. ('That's it, I'm cutting you off,' a hardened publicist told him, well after our interview was supposed to end.)" — Jeffrey Bloomer, Slate Magazine, 23 Nov. 2016

Did You Know?

English has many terms for gabby types, but it's important to choose the right word to get across what kind of chatterbox you mean. Talkative usually implies a readiness to engage in talk or a disposition to enjoy conversation. Loquacious generally suggests the power to express oneself fluently, articulately, or glibly, but it can also mean "talking excessively." Garrulous is even stronger in its suggestion of excessive talkativeness; it is most often used for tedious, rambling talkers. Voluble is a word ultimately derived from the Latin verb volvere, meaning "to roll," that  describes an individual who speaks easily and often—someone whose words smoothly roll off their tongue, so to speak.