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Definitions

long-winded

[lawng-win-did, long-] / ˈlɔŋˈwɪn dɪd, ˈlɒŋ- /
ADJECTIVE
wordy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
chatty loquacious rambling
WEAK
bombastic gabby garrulous palaverous prolix talkative verbose voluble
Antonyms
STRONGEST
quiet silent

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for long-winded?
Long-winded is used to describe to someone or something that goes on and on—it can be applied to a person or to a speech or a piece of writing.
How could you describe a long-winded person?
The adjective prolix can be used to describe a person who talks for a long time and uses a lot of words. It’s much more formal than long-winded. The words garrulous, loquacious, talkative, and chatty can all be used to describe a person who talks a lot. They typically imply that such a person talks all the time—that they’re inclined to talk. Though it’s not always the case, this usually also involves them talking for a long time at once. The word voluble can also imply this, but it’s much more formal than long-winded.
What is long-winded writing?
When long-winded is applied to a speech or a piece of writing, similar words include verbose and wordy (which both mean having too many words), and prolix, which means both long and wordy. The adjective rambling describes speech or writing that goes on at length but doesn’t stay on topic. A perhaps more polite way of saying that a piece of writing is long-winded is calling it lengthy.
What is the opposite (antonym) of long-winded?
The direct opposite of long-winded is short-winded—meaning “brief, concise, or to the point.” Short-winded is not as commonly used as long-winded, and it’s more often applied to speeches or pieces of writing, as opposed to people. The words succinct and concise can both be used to describe people, pieces of writing, or speeches that get right to the point without taking too long or using too many words.
How do you use long-winded in a sentence?
Long-winded can be used to describe people, speech, or writing. Here are some examples of long-winded in a sentence:
  • His speech was so long-winded that I almost fell asleep!
  • My coworkers tell me I’m long-winded during presentations, but I just like to be thorough.
  • I realized my essay was really long-winded and over the word count—I had to cut several pages. 
Is it long winded, longwinded, or long-winded?
It’s by far most commonly spelled as long-winded.

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.

The governor, in a long-winded response, said he wasn’t trying to impress anyone, but “press upon you I’m like you.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026

Rose has few friends, perhaps because she has few unexpressed thoughts—and those thoughts tend toward the long-winded and uncompromising.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Meredith is long-winded and short-sighted, unable to take a hint, let alone relax.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2025

And awards night host Nate Bargatze implored winners to keep their long-winded speeches snappy with a running gag that saw his charity donation docked if speech-givers went over their allotted time.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

It gave me more time to write out long-winded college essays about how my illness shaped me.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.