Prolixity: meaning, definitions and examples

Prolixity refers to the use of too many words to express an idea, often making it unnecessarily lengthy and hard to follow. It is often used in literary contexts or when describing written works that are excessively detailed.

• The author's prolixity made the article difficult to read
• His speeches are often marked by prolixity, which loses the interest of the audience

Verbosity describes speech or writing that is wordy and redundant, often leading to confusion or boredom. The term is generally negative and implies that the excess words do not contribute to the meaning.

• The teacher criticized the student's essay for its verbosity
• Due to his verbosity, it's hard to understand the main point of his argument

Long-windedness is more commonly used in everyday language and usually refers to someone who speaks or writes for an excessively long period, often in a dull or boring manner.

• Her long-windedness during meetings can be tiresome
• He tends to explain simple concepts with unnecessary long-windedness

Wordiness is often used in a negative context to describe writing or speech that includes unnecessary or redundant words. It is commonly used in editing and writing advice.

• The editor advised me to eliminate wordiness from my report
• Her wordiness makes it difficult to determine the important points

Used in formal settings to describe speech or writing that is tediously lengthy and overly verbose, often needlessly so.

• The professor's prolixity made it difficult for students to stay engaged during lectures.
• Her prolixity in the report obscured the main points she was trying to convey.

A formal term often used in writing to indicate the excessive use of words, making the text unnecessarily long and complex.

• The verbosity of the novel made it difficult to read.
• Editors often cut down on verbosity to ensure clarity and conciseness.

Commonly used in everyday conversation to refer to someone who takes a long time to make their point, often to the frustration of others. It can have a slightly negative connotation.

• During the meeting, his long-windedness made everyone impatient.
• He may have some good ideas, but his long-windedness makes it hard to follow.

Used in everyday language to describe speech or writing that uses more words than necessary, often neutral but can be slightly negative.

• Her essay was marked down for wordiness.
• The instructions were marred by wordiness, making them hard to understand.