Prolixly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Marked by an overabundance of words that detracts from clarity
2. Displaying a tendency to use more words than necessary, leading to tediousness
3. In a way that uses excessive words and lacks brevity, causing the content to be drawn out unnecessarily

Etymology: "Prolixly" is simply the adverb form of "prolix," which came into English from Latin "prolixus," meaning "extended" or "flowing forth," built from "pro-" (forward) and "liquus" (flowing). The sense of flowing on and on is the root of the modern meaning: a prolix speaker keeps going long past the point where listeners have stopped following. The adverb is formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to "prolix." That suffix descends from Old English "-līċe," which in turn traces back through Proto-Germanic to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "body" or "form," so the idea behind "-ly" is roughly "in the manner of." Attaching it to "prolix" gives the sense of doing something in a long-winded, overflowing way.

Synonyms: verbosely, wordily, lengthily, expansively, tediously

Antonyms: briefly, concisely, succinctly, sharply, crisply