What does ventriloquous mean?
Ventriloquous is an adjective describing speech produced, or appearing to be produced, without movement of the lips. It is especially associated with ventriloquism, in which a performer makes a puppet or dummy appear to speak by coordinating the movement of its mouth or jaw with speech produced through the performer's own vocal apparatus. The adjective can also refer more generally to anything characteristic of that performance tradition. In ordinary conversation, ventriloquous has a slightly theatrical and often humorous quality, reflecting its strong association with stage and variety entertainment. A ventriloquist is the person who performs the technique, while ventriloquism names the practice itself; ventriloquous is chiefly used descriptively. The word is relatively uncommon but immediately recognizable and useful when discussing the mechanics, illusion, or distinctive character of ventriloquism.
adjectiveProducing or appearing to produce speech without moving the lips, especially in ventriloquism. It can also mean relating to or characteristic of ventriloquism.
- Producing or appearing to produce speech without movement of the lips, especially in ventriloquism.
- Relating to or characteristic of ventriloquism.
"The ventriloquous dummy seemed to answer the comedian's questions on its own."
"The ventriloquous dummy sat on the performer's knee, moving its mouth in perfect time with the speech."
"Her ventriloquous performance convinced the audience that the small painted figure was speaking for itself."
A ventriloquous voice is the “belly-speaker”: the word's Latin ancestor literally means a person who speaks from the belly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ventriloquous
Ventriloquous comes from the Latin ventriloquus, literally “belly-speaker,” formed from venter, meaning “belly,” and loqui, meaning “to speak.” English later developed the closely related forms ventriloquism and ventriloquist, which continued to express the idea of speaking from the belly or by artificial vocal means. The Latin root loqui also underlies words such as eloquent.
Related word forms
How ventriloquous is actually used
Relatively formal and uncommon in everyday speech. It often carries a theatrical or humorous association because of its close connection with traditional ventriloquism.
Easily confused with ventriloquous
A ventriloquist is the performer who uses ventriloquism, whereas ventriloquous is the adjective describing speech or an object that appears to speak without moving its lips.