perorate

American  

[per-uh-reyt] / ˈpɛr əˌreɪt /

verb (used without object)

perorated, perorating

1. to speak at length; make a long, usually grandiloquent speech.

2. to bring a speech to a close with a formal conclusion.

---

perorate British  

/ ˈpɛrəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to speak at length, esp in a formal manner

2. to conclude a speech or sum up, esp with a formal recapitulation

---

Other Word Forms

• perorator
  noun

Etymology

Origin of perorate

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin perōrātus, past participle of perōrāre; see origin at per-, orate

Explanation

To perorate is to give a long, pompous speech. If you were expecting your teacher's remarks at the beginning of class to be a quick announcement, your heart will sink when he begins to perorate. There are two ways to use this somewhat old-fashioned word. The first is as a near-synonym of "orate," although to perorate is to give an even more flowery, pretentious speech than a mere oration. If you perorate when it's your turn to comment at a town meeting, it's unlikely you'll be taken seriously. An older meaning of perorate is to end a long speech with a summary of your main points.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

perorate perorated perorating

“I’ll just look into my soft drink and listen to someone else perorate about me,” Sting said.

From Washington Post

Feuillans, including almost the whole Constitutional Respectability of France, perorate nightly from their tribune; correspond through all Post-offices; denouncing unquiet Jacobinism; trusting well that its time is nigh done.

From The French Revolution by Thomas Carlyle

So little was he supposed to have spoken seriously that another, of whose ceasing to perorate there is no prospect, characterized his criticism in language so strong that it cannot well be repeated. 

From Lost Leaders by W. Pett (William Pett) Ridge

But here he'll pose and perorate, A Brutus vain and voluble.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 98, February 8, 1890 by Various

And church and state pause in this made vortex of chaos to prate of the ills of pugilism; to legislate and perorate anent bloodless boxing bouts; to prosecute a brace of harmless pugs.

From Brann the Iconoclast — Volume 12 by William Cowper Brann

He perorated: Recent events in Spanish Morocco were far from reassuring for the Spaniards.

From Time Magazine Archive

And in that day," he perorated, "how will the Fitu-Ivan be known in the great world?

From A Son Of The Sun by Jack London

Such animosity as was shown against the priesthood emanated from some of the public clubs where the future Communards perorated.

From My Days of Adventure The Fall of France, 1870-71 by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly

When I get back to Chicago," he perorated, "I'm going to get a job and stick to it till hell freezes over.

From The Road by Jack London

"That's the man for my money," he perorated.

From Stingaree by E. W. (Ernest William) Hornung

The countess approached the divan in the centre of the room, where Raoul was perorating.

From A Daughter of Eve by Honoré de Balzac

Whilst other people were promenading or perorating, Trochu, in his room at the Louvre, was receiving telegram after telegram informing him that the Germans were now fast closing round the city.

From My Days of Adventure The Fall of France, 1870-71 by Ernest Alfred Vizetelly

He had listened to Horne Tooke perorating "hanging matters" at the Corresponding Society; he had seen the "electric ruby" circulating at its dinners; he had witnessed the collapse of Thomas Hardy's painstaking and methodical organisation.

From Shelley, Godwin and Their Circle by Henry Noel Brailsford

And as there was no one less impatient under sentiment or poetry than madame, her feet began to agitate themselves as if Jules were perorating some of his culinary inanities before her.

From Balcony Stories by Grace E. King

I had a vague impression of listening to gigantic marionettes, perorating through a trumpet, with the emphasis of Spaniards.

From Amiel's Journal by Mrs. Humphry Ward