circumlocutious
- Adjective:
- Roundabout and unnecessarily wordy: Describes a manner of speaking or writing that uses many more words than necessary, often in an indirect or evasive way, instead of being direct and concise.
The adjective "circumlocutious" is used to describe language, expression, or communication that is not straightforward. It implies a deliberate or habitual avoidance of directness, resulting in verbose and often confusing speech or text. - It is a formal and somewhat literary term. - It is often used in a critical or negative sense to point out inefficiency in communication.
- Adjective:
- The politician's circumlocutious answer failed to address the core question.
- Her circumlocutious writing style made the simple instructions difficult to follow.
- Instead of a direct apology, he offered a circumlocutious explanation for his mistake.
"Circumlocutious speech": A specific type of verbose and indirect speaking.
- The lawyer's circumlocutious speech was intended to confuse the jury.
"A circumlocutious route" (figurative): A metaphorical way to describe an indirect method or approach to a goal.
- He took a circumlocutious route to finally confess his feelings.
Circumlocution (n): The use of many words where fewer would do, especially in a deliberate attempt to be vague or evasive.
- The document was full of bureaucratic circumlocution.
Circumlocutory (adj): A more common synonym with the same meaning as "circumlocutious."
- He gave a circumlocutory response to avoid giving a clear yes or no.
Periphrastic (adj): Expressing an idea in a roundabout way; using circumlocution.
- Ambagious (adj): (Archaic) Roundabout, circuitous in speech.
- Verbose: Using or expressed in more words than are needed.
- Prolix: (Of speech or writing) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy.
- Tortuous: Excessively lengthy and complex.
- Indirect: Not direct in manner, language, or course.
- Concise: Giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words.
- Direct: Straightforward and frank.
- Succinct: Briefly and clearly expressed.
- Forthright: Direct and outspoken.
- "To beat around the bush": To avoid talking about what is important. This is a common idiom for a circumlocutious manner.
- Stop beating around the bush and tell me what you really think.
- roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; (`ambagious' is archaic)
- had a preference for circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than forthright expression
- A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle/ With words and meanings.-T.S.Eliot