Garrulous Meaning: Definition, Examples and Garrulousness

Garrulous (adjective). Garrulous describes someone who talks at length, often with unnecessary detail or in a rambling way.

Example: The garrulous passenger described every stop on his previous holiday before we reached the station.

Pronunciation guide: GAR-uh-luhs; the first vowel varies by accent. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

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What does garrulous mean?

A garrulous person talks more than the situation calls for. The listener may feel that the story wanders, includes too many details or takes too long to reach its point.

The word usually carries criticism, although a writer may use it affectionately. Context decides how sharp the criticism is. “Our garrulous uncle kept us laughing all evening” sounds warmer than “The garrulous caller would not let me explain the problem.”

Garrulous describes a way of speaking, not a person’s intelligence or worth. A talkative person can still have useful things to say.

Garrulous in a sentence

• The garrulous storyteller took ten minutes to explain a two-minute delay.
• Usually quiet, Ravi became garrulous when someone asked about his garden.
• The editor shortened the garrulous introduction so the report reached its main point sooner.
• Our garrulous host moved from one anecdote to another while we waited for dinner.
• Her affectionate portrait of her garrulous grandmother included many family stories.

The adjective can describe speech and writing as well as people. A garrulous account is wordy or rambling.

Garrulousness, garrulity and garrulously

Garrulousness is the noun naming this excessive talkativeness: “His garrulousness made the short meeting last an hour.” Garrulity is another noun for the quality.

Garrulously is the adverb: “She spoke garrulously about the journey.” Compare “a garrulous speaker” with “the speaker’s garrulousness.” One describes a person; the other names the quality.

Notice the spelling: g-a-r-r-u-l-o-u-s. There are two r’s. The word’s Latin background is connected with chattering.

Garrulous versus talkative and loquacious

Talkative is broader and can be neutral. Chatty often sounds friendly. Loquacious is a formal word for talkative and does not always carry the same complaint about rambling. Garrulous makes excess or tedious detail more noticeable.

Verbose focuses on using more words than necessary, including in writing. Taciturn describes someone who habitually says little. These alternatives are not interchangeable in every sentence.

At work, describe the behaviour when giving feedback: “Please keep the update to two minutes” is often more useful than labelling a colleague garrulous.

Practise garrulous: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. If a question asks you to write a sentence, your own correct example is welcome.

Question 1

Which word is more likely to suggest annoying or rambling speech: talkative or garrulous?

Question 2

Complete: “The host’s ___ left little time for questions.” Garrulous or garrulousness?

Question 3

Write a sentence that shows why a fictional speaker seems garrulous.

Keep learning

Watch How to Pronounce Garrulous by Pronunciation Guide on YouTube.

Compare these words next: Mellifluous meaning and practice and Astute meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Garrulous. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.