What does perorating mean?
Perorating means speaking at length, especially in a way that is formal, emphatic, or self-important enough to sound like a lecture or harangue. The word is normally used for prolonged public speech rather than ordinary conversation: a speaker who has taken over a meeting, a candidate addressing supporters, or a pundit delivering a sweeping denunciation may be described as perorating. Its tone is often critical, suggesting that the speaker is inflating a simple point, using bombast, or enjoying the sound of grand language. In less hostile contexts, “perorating” can simply refer to delivering an elaborate oration, though that is less common. The expression is most useful when its critical edge matters. It distinguishes verbose, overblown rhetoric from concise, restrained speech and often carries a humorous or mildly accusatory implication when applied to someone who seems to have lost sight of the audience.
verbTo speak at length, especially in a loud, pompous, or excessively emphatic manner. It often implies a harangue or an ostentatious display of rhetoric.
- To speak at length, especially in a loud, pompous, or excessively emphatic manner.
"The senator continued perorating about the alleged crisis long after the audience had stopped listening."
"The candidate spent the entire rally perorating about the importance of unity."
"Rather than answering the question, she kept perorating about unrelated matters."
A grand speech may be called an oration, but when it becomes interminable, the speaker is perorating.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does perorating come from?
The English verb comes from the Latin perorari, meaning “to speak at length” or “to declaim,” formed from per- and orare, “to speak or pray.” The English form appeared in the early 17th century and initially referred to formal declamation. Its modern use commonly emphasizes the bombastic or excessive character of such a speech.
Related word forms
How perorating is actually used
The word is usually critical or humorous. It suggests that a speaker is being verbose, bombastic, or insufficiently aware of the audience; it is stronger and more disparaging than simply speaking at length.