polysyllabic

[ pol-ee-si-lab-ik ]

adjective
  1. consisting of several, especially four or more, syllables, as a word.

  2. characterized by such words, as a language, piece of writing, etc.

Origin of polysyllabic

1
1650–60; <Medieval Latin polysyllab(us) of many syllables (<Greek polysýllabos) + -ic. See poly-, syllabic
  • Sometimes pol·y·syl·lab·i·cal .

Other words from polysyllabic

  • pol·y·syl·lab·i·cal·ly, adverb
  • hy·per·pol·y·syl·lab·ic, adjective
  • hy·per·pol·y·syl·lab·i·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby polysyllabic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use polysyllabic in a sentence

  • To what inconsequent polysyllabic question of his host did the guest return a monosyllabic negative answer?

    Ulysses | James Joyce

British Dictionary definitions for polysyllabic

polysyllabic

/ (ˌpɒlɪsɪˈlæbɪk) /


adjective
  1. consisting of more than two syllables

Derived forms of polysyllabic

  • polysyllabically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012