The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is garrulous. Read on for what it means, how it’s used, and more.

What It Means

Garrulous can mean “chatty” or “excessively talkative” when describing a person (or even a bird that calls or sings rapidly and constantly), or it can mean “wordy” when referring to a piece of language itself, such as a letter or speech.

// Annie’s garrulous and outgoing nature is a stark contrast to her brother’s more retiring demeanor.

// His garrulous, rapid-fire presentation hyping the new feature was exciting at first, but soon became repetitive and tiresome.

GARRULOUS in Context

“Most college presidents I’ve met are outgoing, garrulous types who enjoy talking with students and faculty.” —John Boyle, The Asheville (North Carolina) Citizen Times, 15 May 2022

Did You Know?

Garrulous is a 17th century Latin borrowing that has its origin in garrīre, meaning “to chatter, talk rapidly.” That Latin root is probably imitative in origin—that is, it was coined to imitate what it refers to. English has a number of words that are imitative in origin, among them several others that describe ways of talking, such as babble and chatter.