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 Telegraph called the pigeon's discharge "the most eloquent live review in history."
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
There was eloquent solo playing in the orchestra, and extravagance from the solo singers.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
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
He sees value in observing the pauses between things—intervals that, he argues, can be as eloquent and productive as any bursts of energetic activity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
My words weren’t polished, and I’d never be as eloquent as my husband, but I spoke from the heart.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
