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.

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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

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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

A Premier potent may perorate free, At night, at night!

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 103, September 3, 1892 by Various

He hears Burke perorate, and Johnson dogmatise, and Scott tell his border tales, and Wordsworth muse on the hillside, without the leave of any man, or the payment of any toll.

From English Prose A Series of Related Essays for the Discussion and Practice by Roe, Frederick William

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 Brann, William Cowper

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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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 London, Jack

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 Vizetelly, Ernest Alfred

Amid this group Lange, fat and lumpy, perorated.

From A Mummer's Wife by Moore, George (George Augustus)

Suppressing the receptions which annoyed her, she gave none but men's dinners, where she perorated and paraded, and where, being the only woman present, she had no rivals to fear.

From Marie Antoinette and the Downfall of Royalty by Imbert de Saint-Amand, Arthur Léon, baron

Did I hear our loquacious Fiddler perorating upon Life?

From First Plays by Milne, A. A. (Alan Alexander)

Not ten days hence Patriot Brissot, beshouted this day by the Patriot Galleries, shall find himself begroaned by them, on account of his limited Patriotism; nay pelted at while perorating, and 'hit with two prunes.'

From The French Revolution by Carlyle, Thomas

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

From Amiel's Journal by Ward, Humphry, Mrs.

A foolish stump-orator, perorating on his platform mere benevolences, seems a pleasant object to many persons; a harmless or insignificant one to almost all.

From Latter-Day Pamphlets by Carlyle, Thomas

Thus at Caen, in the early July days, there is a drumming and parading, a perorating and consulting: Staff and Army; Council; Club of Carabots, Anti-Jacobin friends of Freedom, to denounce atrocious Marat.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 14 by Various