Voluble

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈvɒl.jʊ.bəl/

Definitions

1. Characterized by or exhibiting a tendency to talk excessively and fluently, often with great enthusiasm or without careful thought
2. Able to speak at length with ease and fluidity, showing facility in spoken expression
3. Marked by a readiness to converse or a smooth, abundant use of language when speaking

Etymology: The most striking thing about "voluble" is how physical its original meaning was. In Latin, "volūbilis" meant "rolling" or "turning," and it came from "volvere," "to roll." A voluble thing was something that spun or revolved, like a wheel or a river's current, and nothing in that sense had anything to do with speech. The shift to talk happened through Middle French "volubile," which kept the idea of smooth, unbroken motion and applied it to the tongue. Someone who is voluble speaks in a continuous flow, rolling words out without pause, much as a wheel keeps turning once set in motion. English borrowed the word with that fluent, uninterrupted sense attached, so the adjective describes a speaker who never seems to run out of words.

Synonyms: talkative, loquacious, garrulous, chatty, verbose

Antonyms: taciturn, reticent, reserved, silent, quiet