Wordy

/ˈwɜrdi/ adjective

Definition

Using too many words; something that is verbose or takes unnecessarily long to say or express.

Etymology

From 'word' (Old English 'word,' from Proto-Germanic 'wurdiz') plus the suffix '-y' (forming adjectives). The term became common in the 16th century as a criticism of overly elaborate writing styles.

Kelly Says

Shakespeare was called 'wordy' by his own contemporaries—critics complained his sentences went on forever with unnecessary flourishes, yet those 'unnecessary' words are what makes him poetic, proving that wordy and beautiful sometimes live in the same sentence.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.