monologuing
Talking without pausing
Monologuing is talking at length without interruption, especially when others might prefer dialogue.
The term often carries a mocking edge, particularly for villains in fiction who delay action to explain their plans: The supervillain was monologuing when the hero escaped.
More broadly, it describes anyone holding forth while others wait: He was still monologuing about his weekend when I tuned out.
Extended angry speech
- diatribeBitter, prolonged verbal attack
- harangueAggressive lengthy scolding
- rantAngry prolonged outburst
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
lecture · sermon · pontification · soapboxing · venting · rambling · uninterrupted · long-winded
Carrying out a task
- dramaticStrikingly expressive or sudden
- emotingExpressing theatrically
- hammingExaggerated theatrical performance
- overactingExcessive theatrical performance
scene-stealing · grandstanding · mugging · projecting · declamation · showmanship · melodrama · pathos
Verbal account delivery
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- recountingNarrating events from memory
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
- voiceoverOff-screen recorded speech
anecdote · reminiscing · recitation · describing · explaining · backstory · info-dumping · elaborating
Examining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- self-examinationScrutiny of one's thoughts
- musingReflective contemplation
brooding · pondering · stream-of-consciousness · self-awareness · soul-searching · self-scrutiny · self-analysis · navel-gazing
tirade
Extended angry speech
- diatribeBitter, prolonged verbal attack
- harangueAggressive lengthy scolding
- rantAngry prolonged outburst
filibuster · lecture · sermon · pontification · soapboxing · venting · rambling · uninterrupted · long-winded · dominating
performance
Carrying out a task
- dramaticStrikingly expressive or sudden
- emotingExpressing theatrically
- hammingExaggerated theatrical performance
overacting · scene-stealing · grandstanding · mugging · projecting · declamation · showmanship · melodrama · pathos · intensity
narration
Verbal account delivery
- storytellingRecounting events aloud
- recountingNarrating events from memory
- expositionSystematic explanatory presentation
voiceover · anecdote · reminiscing · recitation · describing · explaining · backstory · info-dumping · elaborating · detailing
self-reflection
Examining one's own mind
- contemplationSustained reflective attention
- ruminationProlonged, repetitive thinking
- self-examinationScrutiny of one's thoughts
musing · brooding · pondering · stream-of-consciousness · self-awareness · soul-searching · self-scrutiny · self-analysis · navel-gazing · thoughtfulness
- meeting problemsno decisions, interrupting, rambling, off-topic, tangents
- literary techniquesforeshadowing, alluding, symbolizing, satirizing, parodying
- Overcommunicationoversharing, rambling, babbling, repeating, flooding
- talkativenesstalkativeness, verbosity, wordiness, garrulity, loquacity
- conversationlistening, talk, talking, chat, speaking
- actingacting, act, performing, playacting, actor
monologuingdialoguing
Engaging in discussion
dialogue · conversing · conversation · discussing · back-and-forth
monologuinglistening
Attending to sound
engaging · turn-taking · active listening · interacting · responding
monologuingsilence
Total lack of sound
brevity · conciseness · terseness · reticence · shutting up
dialogue, monologue, soliloquy, dialogues, monologist, monologues, monologued, soliloquize, soliloquizing