voluble
Americanadjective
adjective
-
talking easily, readily, and at length; fluent
-
archaic easily turning or rotating, as on an axis
-
rare (of a plant) twining or twisting
Synonym Usage
See fluent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of voluble
First recorded in 1565–75; from Latin volūbilis “that turns easily, flowing,” equivalent to volū-, base of volvere “to turn” + -bilis -ble; cf. revolve ( def. )
Explanation
Voluble describes someone who talks a lot, like your aunt who can’t stop telling you to cut your hair or a political candidate who makes twenty speeches on the day before the election. Have you ever found it especially hard to interrupt someone who talks a lot when he or she gets on a roll? If so, it won’t surprise you that the adjective voluble traces back to the Latin word volvere, meaning “to roll.” The word voluble describes talking continuously, fluently, at great length, in a steady flow. You’ll know it when you meet voluble talkers: they just keep rolling on and on.
Vocabulary lists containing voluble
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Othello
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Things Fall Apart
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
For someone so voluble, President Trump isn’t the most effective at articulating a rationale for his strategic thinking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026
Asked by journalists if he viewed the report as a whitewash, Lange, the voluble New Zealand prime minister, scoffed.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2025
Councilmember Monica Rodriguez is invited to appear in the live-action version of “The Incredibles” as her animated doppelganger: voluble, brilliant, bespectacled, fashion-forward Edna Mode.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2024
Co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who wrote “A Quiet Place,” went the other way with this story of a voluble Hugh Grant challenging, then terrorizing, Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher’s young Mormon missionaries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2024
Teller, irrepressibly voluble on his favorite subject, joined them for the drive back to Albuquerque, prattling all the way about the essential requirements of a program to build the Super.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
