eloquent
Americanadjective
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having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech.
an eloquent orator.
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characterized by forceful and appropriate expression.
an eloquent speech.
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movingly expressive.
looks eloquent of disgust.
adjective
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(of speech, writing, etc) characterized by fluency and persuasiveness
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visibly or vividly expressive, as of an emotion
an eloquent yawn
Related Words
Eloquent, fluent, articulate, expressive are adjectives that characterize speech or speakers notable for their effectiveness. Eloquent suggests clarity and power: an eloquent plea for disarmament. Fluent, with a root sense of flowing, refers to easy, smooth, facile speech: fluent in three languages. Articulate characterizes a clear and effective speaker or speech: an articulate spokesman for tax reform. Expressive focuses on rendering intelligible or meaningful the ideas or feelings of a speaker or writer and implies an especially effective, vivid use of language: a deeply moving, powerfully expressive evocation of a city childhood. See also fluent.
Other Word Forms
- eloquently adverb
- eloquentness noun
- noneloquent adjective
- noneloquently adverb
- quasi-eloquent adjective
- quasi-eloquently adverb
- supereloquent adjective
- supereloquently adverb
- uneloquent adjective
- uneloquently adverb
Etymology
Origin of eloquent
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin ēloquent-, stem of ēloquēns “speaking out,” present participle of ēloquī “to speak out,” from ē- e- 1 + loquī “to speak”
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 tsunami of eye-rolls she inspires among the staff are silently eloquent.
When prisoners rioted over the conditions, their eloquent spokesman Jones was extensively quoted in the press, catching the attention of a church leader.
From BBC
The oil executive is an eloquent speaker whose TV appearances entertain the president, and the men chat about Venezuela and other topics.
He’s just so sweet and dear and eloquent.
From Los Angeles Times
The long shots in “Battleship Potemkin” are equally eloquent—ships at anchor in the dusk, a line of mourners stretching as far as the eye can see along a harbor wall.
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.
