What does garrulous mean?
Garrulous describes a person who talks excessively, often in a rapid, animated, and ultimately uninformative way. The word usually carries a mildly negative or humorous connotation, suggesting that the person's speech is more abundant than useful. It is particularly common in descriptions of relatives, hosts, storytellers, public speakers, and other people whose conversation dominates the social situation. Although it resembles the more neutral talkative in meaning, garrulous generally implies that the talking is excessive, intrusive, or tiresome. The word comes from the Latin garrulus, meaning “chattering” or “noisy in speech,” and entered English in the early 17th century. It is a useful alternative to saying that someone is merely chatty when their speech is conspicuously excessive or poorly timed. In formal writing, it offers an elegant and distinctly evaluative way to comment on volubility without resorting to blunt criticism.
adjectiveExcessively talkative; inclined to chatter at length, especially without saying much of substance.
- Overly talkative or inclined to chatter at length, especially in a way that is tiresome or uninformative.
"Her garrulous host kept the entire dinner conversation focused on himself."
"The garrulous storyteller prolonged every journey with elaborate embellishments."
"During the formal interview, her garrulous answers obscured her substantial qualifications."
Garrulous entered English in the early 17th century with a literal meaning: simply “chattering.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does garrulous come from?
Garrulous was borrowed in the early 17th century from the Latin garrulus, meaning “chattering” or “talkative.” The Latin adjective is generally traced to garrire, an ancient Roman verb meaning “to chatter” or “to talk noisily.” English later developed related forms such as garrulously and garrulousness, while the rarer noun garrulity continued the sense of talkativeness.
Related word forms
How garrulous is actually used
The word is usually mildly disapproving: it suggests someone who talks excessively, often without tact or relevance. It can occasionally be playful or affectionate, but it is not normally a neutral description of enthusiasm for conversation.