polysyllabic
Having multiple syllables
Polysyllabic describes words with multiple syllables—typically three or more.
The term appears in discussions of language complexity, reading difficulty, or rhetorical style: polysyllabic jargon, polysyllabic vocabulary.
Someone accused of being polysyllabic uses unnecessarily long words: His polysyllabic explanations confused everyone.
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- syllabificationDivision into spoken units
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
- articulationClear vocal expression
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
stress · accent · prosody · phonology · phonetics · morpheme · affix · suffix
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- grandiloquentPretentiously elevated in speech
- magniloquentUsing pompous, elevated rhetoric
- circumlocutorySpeaking in circles
- periphrasticExpressed through excess words
long-winded · prolix · verbose · wordy · bombastic · pompous · pretentious · flowery
Rhythmic pulse or pattern
- meterDevice that measures usage
- scansionAnalyzing verse rhythm patterns
- prosodyStudy of verse rhythm
- verseMetered poetic passage
poetry · iamb · trochee · dactyl · anapest · spondee · foot · beat
One's word collection
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
- etymologyWord origin study
linguistics · morphology · neologism · coinage · word-formation · compounding · derivational · inflectional
sesquipedalian
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- syllabificationDivision into spoken units
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
- articulationClear vocal expression
enunciation · stress · accent · prosody · phonology · phonetics · morpheme · affix · suffix · prefix
sesquipedalian
Given to lengthy vocabulary
- grandiloquentPretentiously elevated in speech
- magniloquentUsing pompous, elevated rhetoric
- circumlocutorySpeaking in circles
periphrastic · long-winded · prolix · verbose · wordy · bombastic · pompous · pretentious · flowery · ornate
cadence
Rhythmic pulse or pattern
verse · poetry · iamb · trochee · dactyl · anapest · spondee · foot · beat · tempo
vocabulary
One's word collection
- dictionaryAlphabetical word reference
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- lexiconVocabulary of a language
etymology · linguistics · morphology · neologism · coinage · word-formation · compounding · derivational · inflectional · cognate
- long wordssupercalifragilisticexpialidocious, antidisestablishmentarianism, incomprehensibilities, counterrevolutionary, electroencephalograph
- poly- wordspolygon, polymer, polyglot, polymath, polynomial
- syllable countstwo syllables, three syllables
- word descriptorsbrief, lengthy, concise, verbose, abbreviated
- syllablessyllabification, trisyllable, onset, coda, nucleus