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
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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.
Its owner is the exasperatingly voluble Harry, played by Dustin Hoffman in a role the veteran Oscar winner clearly relishes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 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
A quirky and voluble man, Kachuck is on a quest to save the California avocado, taking political and legal action against entrenched interests he sees as an impediment to farmers like him.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2025
Lou, conversely, was the toast of the town: an institution-building entrepreneur and voluble drinking buddy known for wearing loud turtlenecks, cracking ribald jokes and eating like a barn animal.
From New York Times • Apr. 5, 2024
Washington was a voluble politician with an exuberant spirit.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
