circumlocutory

9.9

Using many words instead of saying something clearly to avoid a direct answer

adjective
/ˌsɜrkəmˈloʊkjəˌtɔri/

: circunlocutorio

Please forgive me for being so circumlocutory in my response.

Examples

His circumlocutory explanation left everyone more confused than before.
During the meeting, she often spoke in a circumlocutory way to avoid giving a direct answer.
The politician's circumlocutory speech made it difficult to discern his actual position on the issue.

Synonyms

wordy

vscircumlocutory

8 3.7

Using more words than needed makes the meaning hard to understand

often aims to be deliberately vague or evasive rather than merely long

ambagious

vscircumlocutory

Archaic

9.9

To speak or write in a roundabout, wordy way that hides the main point

is purposely vague and evasive rather than simply indirect

circumlocutious

vscircumlocutory

9.9

Using more words than needed to say what you mean in a roundabout way

is more broadly roundabout and deliberately evasive rather than plain

periphrastic

vscircumlocutory

Literature

9.9

To use more words than needed in speech or writing to say something simple

often aims to be deliberately vague or evasive rather than merely indirect

pleonastic

vscircumlocutory

9.9

Using more words than needed, often repeating the same idea

focuses on avoiding clarity by being deliberately vague rather than repeating

How Wordy

long-winded

18 5.8

circumlocutory

9.9

wordy

8 3.7

succinct

18 6.4

concise

37 4.2

brief

587 2.0

Surface Forms

circumlocutory positive

Morphology

circumlocutory = circumlocution (transparent) = circum + locut + ory

Formed from the noun 'circumlocution' with the adjectival suffix '-ory', so the adjective clearly means 'characterized by circumlocution'.

Etymology

Circumlocutory comes from two Latin parts: circum- meaning 'around' and locut- meaning 'to speak'. It is like 'speaking around' a topic instead of saying it directly, so it describes speech that is long and roundabout.