eloquent

American  

[el-uh-kwuhnt] / ˈɛl ə kwənt /

adjective

1. having or exercising the power of fluent, forceful, and appropriate speech.

   an eloquent orator.

2. characterized by forceful and appropriate expression.

   an eloquent speech.

3. movingly expressive.

   looks eloquent of disgust.

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eloquent British  

/ ˈɛləkwənt /

adjective

1. (of speech, writing, etc) characterized by fluency and persuasiveness

2. visibly or vividly expressive, as of an emotion

   an eloquent yawn

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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”

Explanation

When you're eloquent, you have a way with words. An eloquent speaker expresses herself clearly and powerfully. Even though eloquent usually describes oral speech, it can also be used to describe powerful writing. Being eloquent is about using words well. All the great writers from English class — such as Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Emily Dickinson, and Virginia Woolf — were eloquent. A great orator or speaker like Martin Luther King, Jr. was eloquent. When something is beautifully, gorgeously, perfectly said (or written), it's eloquent. Being eloquent requires your words to be smooth, clear, powerful, and interesting. To write or speak in an eloquent way takes a lot of work.

Example Sentences

A disheveled man sick of endless waiting launched into an eloquent tirade ending with Samuel Beckett -- "You know what happened in the story of Godot? He never came."

From Barron's • Feb. 16, 2026

The court heard that Laura and Brian Webb gave an eloquent and sobering account of the sheer loss and damage that has been done to their family since the death of Aaron.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

For instance, Trump was a very eloquent speaker back in the 1990s, with the ability to speak in whole paragraphs and make coherent arguments.

From Slate • Jan. 26, 2026

Gosling has a way of retreating into a silence more emotionally eloquent than the film’s occasionally clunky dialogue.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026

Calmly he struck a wooden match and sucked noisily at his pipe with an eloquent air of benign and magnanimous forgiveness.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• affecting
• ardent
• articulate
• expressive
• fervent
• forceful
• impassioned
• moving
• outspoken
• passionate
• persuasive
• poignant
• powerful
• revealing
• stirring
• touching
• vivid
• vocal