Circumlocutory (Adjective)
Meaning
Roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; "had a preference for circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than forthright expression"; "A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle/ With words and meanings."-T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic).
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The professor's circumlocutory explanation of the complex theory left many students confused and lost.
- Her tendency to be circumlocutory in her speech often made it difficult for others to discern her true intentions.
- The politician's circumlocutory response to the question avoided addressing the real issue at hand.
- The writer's circumlocutory style, while poetic, made it challenging for readers to grasp the main point of the story.
- The teacher tried to drill into her students the importance of clear and concise writing, warning them against the pitfalls of circumlocutory language.