Garrulous
GAIR-uh-luhs
/ˈɡær.ə.ləs/
Excessively talkative, especially on trivial matters.
Carries a critical tone, suggesting rambling, unimportant chatter that annoys the listener.
The story behind the word. Derived from the Latin verb 'garrire', an imitative root mimicking the sound of chattering birds like magpies. It came into English in the early 17th century.
Word relationships
- voluble: 'Voluble' implies words flowing easily and fluently, whereas 'garrulous' emphasizes triviality.
- chatty: 'Chatty' is informal and friendly; 'garrulous' is formal and slightly negative.
- taciturn: Reserved and inclined to say very little.
- laconic: Using very few words to make a point.
Commonly confused with
- gargantuan: 'Gargantuan' means enormous in size; 'garrulous' means overly talkative.
Word family
- garrulity (noun): Excessive talkativeness on unimportant topics.
- garrulously (adverb): In an excessively talkative manner.
Collocations
- garrulous stranger
- garrulous old man
- garrulous cab driver
- garrulous nature
Idioms & expressions
- chatty Cathy
- shooting the breeze
Example sentences
- "The garrulous neighbor stood at the fence for an hour, detailing every minor event in her garden." Portrait of an old acquaintance
Memory hook
Garrulous sounds like 'gorilla us'—a gorilla chattering constantly at us in the zoo. Garrulous = Babbling about bird-sized trivialities.
When not to use
Avoid using it as a compliment; it implies the speaker is pointlessly blabbering.
Fun facts
- In Latin, the jay bird was called 'garrulus' because of its noisy calls.
Related words
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.