monologue
Americannoun
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a form of dramatic entertainment, comedic solo, or the like by a single speaker.
a comedian's monologue.
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a prolonged talk or discourse by a single speaker, especially one dominating or monopolizing a conversation.
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any composition, as a poem, in which a single person speaks alone.
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a part of a drama in which a single actor speaks alone; soliloquy.
noun
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a long speech made by one actor in a play, film, etc, esp when alone
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a dramatic piece for a single performer
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any long speech by one person, esp when interfering with conversation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of monologue
1615–25; < French, on the model of dialogue dialogue; compare Greek monólogos speaking alone
Explanation
A monologue is a speech delivered by one person, or a long one-sided conversation that makes you want to pull your hair out from boredom. The Greek root word monologos translates to “speaking alone,” and that’s a monologue: one person doing all the talking. In theatre, sometimes a character has a monologue that they perform. You might have an internal monologue where you talk to yourself to better understand some dilemma. Some people talk forever in a constant monologue, never letting you speak. If two people talk back and forth, it’s a dialogue, which is different and probably more fun for everyone.
Vocabulary lists containing monologue
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 3
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Reading: Literature - Drama - Introductory
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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.
He spent the date in an hourlong monologue about his ex-wife Julia, stopping only to show me many, many photos of Julia.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Colbert opened the show with his usual monologue, telling the audience it was going to be business as usual instead of a "special" farewell episode.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
When CBS parent company Paramount Global agreed to settle a lawsuit with Trump for $16 million last July, Colbert targeted both sides, calling the settlement a “big fat bribe” in one monologue.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Ferrell tried to do a hard reset of the monologue but couldn’t get the vibe back.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
When he says this, I think maybe I can turn the poem I wrote for Henrietta Lacks into a monologue or maybe write a solo show about black women—our bodies and the stories they hold.
From "Watch Us Rise" by Renée Watson and Ellen Hagan
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.
