'Magniloquent' describes speaking in a grand or bombastic style, derived from Latin words meaning 'great' and 'to speak'.
Magniloquent describes a high-flown, often bombastic style of speaking. It comes from the Latin words 'magnus' (great) and 'loqui' (to speak), similar to its synonym 'grandiloquent'.
| Word | magniloquent |
|---|---|
| Date | March 18, 2010 |
| Type | adjective |
| Syllables | mag-NIL-uh-kwunt |
| Etymology | "Magnus" means "great" in Latin; "loqui" is a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Combine the two and you get "magniloquus," the Latin predecessor of "magniloquent." English speakers started using "magniloquent" in the 1600s -- even though we’d had its synonym "grandiloquent" since the 1500s. ("Grandiloquent" comes from Latin "grandiloquus," which combines "loqui" and "grandis," another word for "great" in Latin.) Today, these synonyms continue to exist side by side and to be used interchangeably, though "grandiloquent" is the more common of the two. |
| Examples | The actor delivered a magniloquent monologue, peppered with metaphors and obscure words. |
| Definition | : speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner |
Tags: wordoftheday::adjective
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Glower middle part history late word stare glowering
Previous card: Verdure english speakers word century vegetables march noun
Up to card list: Word of the Day