Verbose

/vəˈbəʊs/ · adjective

Meaning

Containing or using more words than necessary; long-winded, wordy. [from 17th c.].

Definitions by Sense

1. Containing or using more words than necessary; long-winded, wordy. [from 17th c.]
2. (computing) Producing detailed output for diagnostic purposes.

Example Sentences

I omit more than an Hundred Things, that would engage to perſonal Reflection; for my Soul hath no Pleaſure in ſtriving therein, as knowing the inconſiſtancy of that uncharitable virulent Temper with a Chriſtian Spirit, which I am aſſured is quite another Thing, from what is Verboſe, Abuſive[,] Cavilling, Airy, and meerly Notional; [...]

[...] I might ſeem to deſerve juſtly to be accounted a verboſe and ſilly Defender; [...]

Thy ſonnet is a piece of verboſe fuſtian; and thy preface is compoſed of far-fetch'd expreſſions, vvords that have not the publick ſtamp, perplexed phraſes; in a vvord, thy ſtile is quite peculiar to thyſelf; […]

We mentioned as another of the faults of Dr. [Charles] Anthon's book, that it exhibited his usual verbose grandiloquence. [...] We objected, for instance, to the lexicon, as loaded with useless words; and we suggested that the probable cause was the desire of procuring for it the appearance of completeness and originality.

So with sentences or the combinations of words. Much skill is required for their construction. They must convey your meaning accurately, and as far as possible in the natural order of thought, and yet they must not be complex, involved, verbose, stiff, ungainly, or tautological. They must be brief, but not curt; explicit, but not verbose. Here, again, good taste must be your guide, rather than rules which teachers propound, but which the pupil never follows.

On the Furness section the sign at Grange is as brief—PASSENGERS MUST CROSS BY THE SUBWAY—as that at the next station, Arnside, is verbose: PASSENGERS ARE REQUESTED TO CROSS THE LINE BY THE BRIDGE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO CROSS THE RAILS.

In modern processors, you pay a bigger performance hit for having verbose code than for having an extra function call because larger code can cause secondary cache hits.

Some patients are especially difficult to interview. Recalcitrant patients, verbose patients, confused patients, patients whose command of the English language is limited, patients with hearing impairments, patients with aphasia, impatient patients, and patients hospitalized in isolation rooms all may be difficult to interview. [...] The best approach for recalcitrant or verbose patients is to exert firm control of the interview and ask directed questions to draw information from the recalcitrant patient and redirect the verbose patient.

Synonyms for verbose

Antonyms for verbose

Related Words

Word Forms

• more verbose
• most verbose

Usage Notes

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