long-winded

/ˈlɔŋˌwɪndəd/

adjective

Tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose.

“He launched into a long-winded discussion of the relative merits of asphalt and concrete.”

Meanings

adjectivelong-winded (comparative more long-winded, superlative most long-winded)

comparative more long-winded · superlative most long-winded · alternative longwinded

  1. Tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose.

    He launched into a long-winded discussion of the relative merits of asphalt and concrete.

    1 more example

    But which analysis is the right one? Well, as in any serious field of research, the consequences of making different assumptions about a particular phenomenon are often so complex and far-reaching that the full implications of the decision to adopt one analysis rather than another are not always immediately apparent. Thatʼs a rather long-winded way of saying that itʼs not always obvious what the right answer is!

    1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 8, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 403

    Synonyms: garrulous · Antonyms: short-winded, laconic, taciturn

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveTediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose.

Similar

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiveusing or containing too many words

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Catalan prolix
  • prolixtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Chinese Cantonese 長氣 /长气
  • 長氣 /长气 (coeng⁴ hei³)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Chinese Mandarin 羅唆 /罗唆, 冗長 /冗长
  • 羅唆 /罗唆 (luósuō)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • 冗長 /冗长 (rǒngcháng)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • 絮叨tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Czech rozvláčný
  • rozvláčnýtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Dutch langdradig
  • langdradigtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Finnish pitkäveteinen, pitkäpiimäinen
  • pitkäveteinentediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • pitkäpiimäinentediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • pitkällinentediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
French verbeux, prolixe
  • verbeuxtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • prolixetediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
German langatmig
  • langatmigtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Greek απεραντολόγος
  • απεραντολόγος (aperantológos)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Hungarian hosszú lélegzetű, terjengős
  • hosszú lélegzetűtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • terjengőstediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Irish fadálach, fadchainteach
  • fadálachtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • fadchainteachtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Italian prolisso
  • prolissotediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Japanese 冗長な
  • 冗長な (jōchō na)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Lithuanian daugžodiškas
  • daugžodiškastediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Māori autaki
  • autakitediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Polish przegadany
  • przegadanytediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Portuguese prolixo
  • prolixotediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Romanian interminabil, tărăgănat
  • interminabiltediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • tărăgănattediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • prolixtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Russian многосло́вный, многоречи́вый
  • многосло́вный (mnogoslóvnyj)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
  • многоречи́вый (mnogorečívyj)tediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Spanish prolijo
  • prolijotediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Swedish långrandig
  • långrandigtediously long in speaking; consuming much time; unnecessarily verbose
Cite this entry
APA

long-winded. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/long-winded

MLA

“long-winded.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/long-winded. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “long-winded,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/long-winded.

Source: long-winded on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.