Eloquent — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈe-lə-kwənt/ el·o·quent

Meaning & Definition of Eloquent

Eloquent (adjective)

  1. marked by forceful and fluent expression
  2. vividly or movingly expressive or revealing

Eloquent (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. able to express oneself clearly and well

    "an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement"

    similar: articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken
    related: facile, glib, smooth-tongued, voluble, expressive, outspoken, verbal, vocal, blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose, unfaltering, unhesitating
    opposite: inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal
    near: faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering, mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless

  2. clearly conveying a special meaning (as one's mood)

    "in an eloquent gesture, the defeated general was graciously given back his sword at the surrender ceremonies"

    similar: expressive, meaning, meaningful, pregnant, revealing, revelatory, significant, suggestive
    related: graphic, pictorial, vivid, evocative, redolent, reminiscent, sententious, weighty, flavorful, full-bodied, rich
    opposite: blank, deadpan, expresionless, inexpressive, unexpressive, vacant

  3. very dignified in form, tone, or style

    "President Kennedy's eloquent inaugural address is often credited with inspiring a whole generation"

    similar: elevated, formal, high-flown, lofty, majestic, stately, towering
    related: affected, bombastic, declamatory, florid, flowery, grandiloquent, grandiose, highfalutin, oratorical, pompous, pretentious, rhetorical, stilted, Attic, cultured, refined, classy, courtly, fine, graceful, tasteful, aristocratic, genteel, patrician, correct, educated, grammatical, proper, academic, bookish, learned, literary
    opposite: ineloquent, low, undignified
    near: casual, colloquial, conversational, informal, nonformal, slangy, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular, coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred, indecent, lowbred, lowbrow, rough, rough-hewn, rude, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar, incorrect, substandard, uneducated, ungrammatical, unlearned

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Eloquent

The most common words with a similar meaning to Eloquent:

articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, expressive, meaning, meaningful, pregnant, revealing, revelatory, significant, suggestive, elevated, formal, high-flown, lofty, majestic, stately, towering

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Eloquent

Words with the opposite meaning of Eloquent:

inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal, blank, deadpan, expresionless, inexpressive, unexpressive, vacant, low, undignified

Related Words for Eloquent

facile, glib, smooth-tongued, voluble, outspoken, verbal, vocal, blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose, unfaltering, unhesitating, graphic, pictorial, vivid, evocative, redolent, reminiscent, sententious, weighty, flavorful, full-bodied, rich, affected, bombastic, declamatory, florid

Near Antonyms of Eloquent

faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering, mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless, casual, colloquial, conversational, informal, nonformal, slangy, unbookish, unliterary, vernacular, coarse, common, crass, crude, gross, ill-bred

Word Forms of Eloquent

Derived words: eloquently (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Eloquent

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin ēloquent-, ēloquens "capable of speech, expressing oneself fluently," from present participle of ēloquī "to utter, put into words," from ē- e-:1 + loquī "to talk, speak," probably going back to dialectal Indo-European *tlokw- "talk," whence also Old Irish ad-tluichethar "(s/he) gives thanks" (originally with buide "thanks" as object, as in atluchedar buidi do Día "he thanks God"), do-tluichethar "(s/he) desires, beseeches, asks," Old Church Slavic tlŭk "interpreter" (from *tl̥kw-o-)

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Eloquent

wax eloquent

Frequently Asked Questions about Eloquent

What does "Eloquent" mean?

"Eloquent" means marked by forceful and fluent expression. As an adjective, it is defined as: marked by forceful and fluent expression. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Eloquent"?

Other words for "Eloquent" include articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, expressive, meaning, meaningful and pregnant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Eloquent" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Eloquent"?

There are 77 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Eloquent". Common alternatives include articulate, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, expressive, meaning, meaningful, pregnant, revealing and revelatory.

What is the opposite of "Eloquent"?

Antonyms of "Eloquent" include inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal, blank, deadpan, expresionless, inexpressive and unexpressive. Near antonyms include faltering, halting, hesitant and maundering.

How do you use "Eloquent" in a sentence?

Examples of "Eloquent" in a sentence: "an eloquent writer and speaker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the founders of the women's rights movement"; "in an eloquent gesture, the defeated general was graciously given back his sword at the surrender ceremonies"; "President Kennedy's eloquent inaugural address is often credited with inspiring a whole generation".

Is "Eloquent" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Eloquent" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Eloquent"?

"Eloquent" is pronounced /ˈe-lə-kwənt/ and divided into syllables as el·o·quent.

What is the origin of the word "Eloquent"?

"Eloquent" comes from Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin ēloquent-, ēloquens "capable of speech, expressing oneself fluently," from present participle of ēloquī "to utter, put into words," from ē- e-:1 + loquī "to talk, speak," probably going back to dialectal Indo-European *tlokw- "talk," whence also Old Irish ad-tluichethar "(s/he) gives thanks" (originally with buide "thanks" as object, as in atluchedar buidi do Día "he thanks God"), do-tluichethar "(s/he) desires, beseeches, asks," Old Church Slavic tlŭk "interpreter" (from *tl̥kw-o-). First known use: 14th century.