Eloquent, Verbose, and Laconic

Recognize words that describe how much and how well someone speaks or writes.

Critics and test passages often describe a speaker's style. Eloquent means fluent, persuasive, and expressive; it comes from Latin eloqui, 'to speak out. ' Verbose means using more words than needed; from Latin verbum, 'word. ' Laconic means using very few words, often to striking effect. It comes from Laconia, the region of ancient Sparta, whose people were famous for terse replies. Succinct is a positive cousin of laconic: brief and clear. Worked example: asked how the expedition went, one explorer says, 'Cold. ' That is laconic.

Another explains for twenty minutes, repeating details and wandering off topic. That is verbose. A third describes the frozen ridge so vividly that listeners shiver. That is eloquent. Notice that length alone does not decide quality. A short reply can be eloquent, and a long one can be precise. These words judge how well the words fit the purpose.

• 1Eloquent: fluent and persuasive.
• 2Verbose: wordier than necessary.
• 3Laconic: using very few words (from Sparta's Laconia).