What does talkativeness mean?
Talkativeness is the quality or habit of talking frequently or at length. It can be used positively to describe someone who is lively, sociable, and comfortable engaging others in conversation, as in descriptions of a warm, generous host. More often, however, the word carries a mildly critical sense, suggesting that a person speaks too much, dominates a discussion, or has difficulty keeping quiet. The related adjective talkative is commonly used in similar contexts, while the noun emphasizes a characteristic quality or tendency rather than a single act of speaking. Talkativeness is especially useful when discussing personality, conversation, public speaking, or social situations where an appropriate balance between speaking and listening matters. Although it occurs in formal English, its vocabulary is ordinary rather than technical, and its evaluation depends strongly on context and tone.
nounThe quality or habit of being talkative, especially speaking frequently or at length. It can refer neutrally to a person's manner or, critically, to an excessive tendency to talk.
- The quality or habit of talking frequently or at length, especially to an excessive degree.
"Her warmth and talkativeness made everyone feel welcome at the gathering."
"His colleagues gently teased him about his talkativeness during the long meeting."
"The interview valued her knowledge and clarity, while the committee found her talkativeness distracting."
Rare; talkativeness is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"The magazine discussed the different forms of talkativenesses found among famous public speakers."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does talkativeness come from?
Talkativeness was formed in English by adding the noun-forming suffix -ness to talkative. The adjective talkative derives from talk with the adjectival suffix -ative, and the family also includes forms such as talkatively and talky. The deeper historical origin of talk is uncertain, although the word was already established in Middle English for conversation or discourse.
Related word forms
How talkativeness is actually used
Generally neutral to mildly negative. It is often used when a person's habit of speaking frequently is being viewed as excessive, although it can also describe an outgoing, sociable manner. The word is usually uncountable.