talkative
Americanadjective
adjective
Related Words
Talkative, garrulous, loquacious characterize a person who talks a great deal. Talkative is a neutral or mildly unfavorable word applied to a person who is inclined to talk a great deal, sometimes without significance: a talkative child. The garrulous person talks with wearisome persistence, usually about personal and trivial things: a garrulous old man. A loquacious person, intending to be sociable, talks continuously and at length: a loquacious host.
Other Word Forms
- nontalkative adjective
- nontalkatively adverb
- nontalkativeness noun
- overtalkative adjective
- overtalkatively adverb
- overtalkativeness noun
- talkatively adverb
- talkativeness noun
- untalkative adjective
Etymology
Origin of talkative
A late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at talk, -ative
Explanation
A person who is talkative likes to talk — she's friendly and ready to gab at all times about just about anything. We all have conversations, but some people enjoy talking more than others: those people are talkative. They find it easy to strike up a conversation, unlike others who may be shy. Being talkative is associated with being friendly. Talkative people can also be described as chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talky, and likely to talk your ear off. If you don’t feel like chatting, you'd better avoid talkative people. The root word of talkative is the Middle English tale, or "story."
Vocabulary lists containing talkative
Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ive, -ative, -itive
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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.
TJ Pidgeon, an 82-year-old woman with dementia in Newcastle, Wash., has become more talkative with her family since she began using Sunny in August.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
On his way back to Washington on Sunday, the normally talkative Trump then declined to take any questions from reporters traveling with him on Air Force One, including an AFP journalist.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
Teaching first grade always has involved dealing with wiggly and talkative kids, but it hasn’t always been quite like this, Quinn said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
"When he was on social media, he was more social … more talkative with us," Mau says, though, she adds, his moodiness may also simply be the "teenage years".
From BBC • Jan. 9, 2026
The baker's not a very talkative man in the best of times, and today he has no words at all.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
