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

After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.

— Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
The rambling result is friendly and approachable—a one-level house with plenty of room for entertaining guests, as well as thoughtful steal-away spaces for catching your breath.

— Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 16 Sep. 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

Elementary school students may have tantrums, be clingy, have toileting accidents, engage in uncontrollable crying or become less talkative as a result of changes in schools, homes and caregivers.

— Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
In the past, Cooper has had an active online life, a cheerful and talkative presence behind his thick black beard.

— Steve Appleford, SPIN, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of talkative

Adjective

Asgari highlights these minor skirmishes through life itself (whether at its most verbose, or in complete silence) via minor aesthetic transformations which play in major keys, and prove deeply moving.

— Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
The playbook was far more verbose when Harvey arrived in Denver as a second-round pick.

— Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of verbose

Adjective

The flags couldn’t be redder, and Khoshnoudi nimbly sketches out the circuitous emotional paths S takes to avoid seeing them until such evasion suddenly and brutally becomes impossible.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández took a circuitous route to the ball and still missed by only inches.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of circuitous

Adjective

While her sculptural dress commanded attention with its plunging neckline and exaggerated peplum waist, her shoes provided a sleek, minimalist finish that tied the entire look together.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
While there are men who have been affected — George Brett Olson has been one vocal example — the majority affected seem to be women, whose likenesses are often exaggerated or distorted for the purposes of sexualization.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of exaggerated

Adjective

Afterward, Ashe quipped about taking on Parton’s famously wordy lyrics in front of the room.

— Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026
And finally, if person A utters a needlessly wordy or detailed expression that is technically synonymous with a single term, person B may take A to implicate that the term does not apply to the person or event under discussion.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of wordy

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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 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of circumlocutory

adjective

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