prolix
Americanadjective
-
extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy.
- Synonyms:
- verbose, protracted
-
(of a person) given to speaking or writing at great or tedious length.
- Synonyms:
- verbose
adjective
-
(of a speech, book, etc) so long as to be boring; verbose
-
indulging in prolix speech or writing; long-winded
Related Words
See wordy.
Other Word Forms
- overprolix adjective
- prolixity noun
- prolixly adverb
- prolixness noun
Etymology
Origin of prolix
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin prōlixus “extended, long,” equivalent to prō- pro- 1 + -lixus, akin to līquī “to flow”; see liquor
Explanation
A book that feels like it is several hundred pages longer than it needs to be is prolix. The word simply means that something has too many words and goes on too long. To avoid being called prolix, we'll keep this short. Prolix means using more words than necessary. For a less formal word choice try wordy, verbose, long-winded or drawn out.
Vocabulary lists containing prolix
The Scarlet Letter
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with "P"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Talk the Talk: Synonyms for "Wordy"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The world premiere, “Have We Met?!,” choreographed by Juliano Nunes, is a 33-minute, two-part, prolix affair for two featured couples.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
A certain type of actor thrives in these prolix circumstances.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2021
Netflix, at least, entertained this possibility, and the result is “Army of the Dead,” a prolix heist-horror hybrid whose undeceased are a sight more fun than its living.
From New York Times • May 20, 2021
Re-creating Odysseus’s trip from Troy to Ithaca, they touch on everything from Mick Jagger to mortality, with the witty banter of a prolix Hope and Crosby and the delicacy of a dragonfly’s wing.
From Washington Post • Dec. 7, 2020
He expands the same image, and loses all likeness in a prolix simile, for his readers were not so impatient as ourselves.
From Amenities of Literature Consisting of Sketches and Characters of English Literature by Disraeli, Isaac
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
