Garrulous: Word Meaning, Examples, Origin & Usage in IELTS

Kasturika Samanta

6 min read

Updated On Aug 07, 2025

The word ‘garrulous’ means ‘talking a lot, especially about unimportant things’. Discover its usage, origin, and history, synonyms and antonyms, and enhance your learning by practicing with the provided exercises to help you achieve a Band 9 score.

Meaning of Garrulous
History and Origin of Garrulous
Usage & Examples of Garrulous
IELTS Usage of ‘Garrulous’
IELTS Writing Task 2 Example
Synonyms of Garrulous
Antonyms of Garrulous
Exercises to Master the Meaning of Garrulous

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Have you come across anyone who can talk continuously, anytime, anywhere, and about nothing in particular? You might also know such a person, for that matter! Well, the word garrulous describes this type of person appropriately. So, whether you are preparing for the IELTS Speaking test or improving your vocabulary for storytelling and essays, understanding ‘garrulous’ can be very helpful.

So, learn the meaning, history, and proper usage of the term ‘garrulous’, solidify your understanding through practical exercises, and add it to your IELTS Vocabulary words list for Band 8 or 9 to achieve your desired score.

Meaning of Garrulous

Pronunciation: /ˈɡærələs/ (sounds like ga·ruh·luhs)

The word ‘garrulous’ is an adjective that describes someone who talks too much, often about trivial matters, and is frequently used in both everyday English and literary descriptions.

However, it often carries a slightly negative connotation, suggesting that the person talks more than necessary, usually without much purpose.

History and Origin of Garrulous

The word garrulous stems from the Latin word garrulus, which means ‘talkative’ or ‘chattering’, derived from garrire, which means ‘to chatter or prattle’.

Root	Language	Meaning
garrire	Latin	To chatter or jabber
garrulus	Latin	Talkative or chatty

The word has been in use in English since the early 17th century, often to describe characters in literature and drama.

Usage & Examples of Garrulous

The word garrulous works well in both formal and argumentative contexts. Here are some examples of how it can be used in different contexts.

Context	Example Sentence
Everyday Speech	I tried to avoid the garrulous man on the train.
Literary Writing	Her garrulous tone filled the quiet room with relentless chatter.
Psychological Traits	Some garrulous individuals may struggle with active listening.
Describing Elders	Many elderly people become garrulous as they seek connection.
Humorous Setting	His garrulous nature made him the life—and sometimes the noise—of the party.

Using ‘Garrulous’ as Different Parts of Speech

Now, let us look at some example sentences where the word, garrulous, has been used in its noun and adverb forms, besides working as a descriptive word.

Part of Speech	Usage of ‘Garrulous’ in Sentence
Adverb (garrulously)	The TV host won many viewers by talking garrulously. She diverted the focus by garrulously explaining some other things. He was always a centre of attention in the party because he spoke garrulously. The criminal was given an injection after which he talked garrulously. The young man was shrewd but talked garrulously at times. Old men spent time talking garrulously in the roadside.
Adjective (garrulous)	Rita was having a tough time, sitting next to a garrulous passenger. The students who were garrulous became silent as soon as the teacher entered the classroom. The manager got irritated with his garrulous employee. His garrulous little brother spoke about mosquitoes all through the picnic. The radio jockey who is usually garrulous spoke about water scarcity yesterday. Neighbours were scared of the garrulous Tim.
Noun (Garrulousness, Garrulity)	The party won the elections solely on the garrulousness of Tom. Tom annoyed his manager by his garrulousness. Garrulousness is in their genes The woman fell for John’s garrulousness. As you meditate on the supreme consciousness, you will slowly lose your garrulousness. He lost the project because of his garrulousness.

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IELTS Usage of ‘Garrulous’

Using garrulous in IELTS shows linguistic range and advanced vocabulary, especially in IELTS Speaking Part 1 (talking about people) or Part 3 (discussing communication styles). You can also use this for IELTS essays, arguing about the impact of technology, communication, or human interaction.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Example

Topic: Some people believe we are losing our ability to communicate effectively due to technology. Discuss your views with examples.
Answer Excerpt: While modern communication allows constant updates, it also encourages a garrulous style of speaking that often lacks substance. Instead of meaningful dialogue, many conversations devolve into endless chatter that fails to foster true understanding.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 – Sample Question & Answer

Question: Are you a talkative person?
Answer: “I wouldn’t say I’m overly garrulous, but I do enjoy good conversations, especially with close friends. If I’m comfortable around someone, I can definitely keep the chat going. But in formal settings or with strangers, I tend to be more reserved.”

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Synonyms of Garrulous

Here are some synonyms for garrulous for IELTS Writing and Speaking, each explained with the word's meaning and a sample sentence.

Synonym	Meaning	Example Sentence
Talkative	talking a lot	He's a bright and talkative child.
Loquacious	tending to talk a great deal; talkative	The loquacious host kept the guests entertained for hours.
Chatty	fond of talking informally	I had a chatty seatmate on the flight.
Verbose	using or containing more words than are necessary	His writing style is overly verbose.
Mouthy	talking too much, especially in a rude or annoying way (informal)	The mouthy teenager kept interrupting the teacher.

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Antonyms of Garrulous

Now let us look at the opposites of garrulous, words that describe people who speak less or speak wisely:

Antonym	Meaning	Example Sentence
Taciturn	reserved or uncommunicative in speech	Unlike his garrulous sister, he was taciturn and preferred silence.
Reticent	unwilling to speak about your thoughts or feelings	She’s reticent when it comes to sharing personal stories.
Reserved	slow to reveal emotion or opinions	He was a reserved man who kept his feelings to himself.
Quiet	tending not to talk much or to make much noise	The quiet girl in class surprised everyone with her brilliant answers.
Concise	giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words	The speaker was concise and impactful.

Exercises to Master the Meaning of Garrulous

Now, it is time to complete the exercises that follow to improve your understanding of the word ‘garrulous’.

Exercise A: One of the following sentences does NOT use “garrulous” correctly. Identify it and explain why.

1 My grandfather is a garrulous man who loves recounting his youth.

2 The scientist was praised for her garrulous and concise research paper.

3 She’s known for being garrulous, especially after a couple of cups of tea.

4 The bus driver, though garrulous, made the long ride enjoyable.

Exercise B: Rewrite the following sentence using garrulous in a natural and accurate way.

1 He wouldn’t stop talking during dinner.

2 She’s the kind of person who speaks at length about even the smallest topic.

3 My uncle tells long-winded stories that sometimes go nowhere.

4 It’s hard to get a word in when she’s excited.

Exercise C: Choose the better word—garrulous or gregarious—to complete the sentence. Think about meaning and tone.

1 She’s extremely ___; she loves talking to anyone she meets and can keep a conversation going for hours.

2 He’s quite ___; he thrives in group settings and prefers being around people.

3 My cousin is ___ to the point that she forgets to listen during conversations.

4 Unlike her ___ brother, she prefers to sit quietly and observe.

Answer Key

Exercise A	Exercise B	Exercise C
Sentence 2 Incorrect Usage – ‘Garrulous’ describes talking, not writing, and never pairs naturally with “concise.” The two are almost opposites in meaning.	He was garrulous during dinner and barely let anyone else speak. She’s quite garrulous, often going on and on about even minor details. My uncle is a garrulous storyteller who loves embellishing every event. When she’s excited, she becomes so garrulous it’s hard to interrupt.	garrulous – describes excessive talking. gregarious – describes sociability and enjoying company. garrulous – excessive speaking, often without pause. garrulous – showing contrast with a quiet person.

Exercise A

Exercise B

Exercise C

Sentence 2

Incorrect Usage – ‘Garrulous’ describes talking, not writing, and never pairs naturally with “concise.” The two are almost opposites in meaning.

He was garrulous during dinner and barely let anyone else speak.
She’s quite garrulous, often going on and on about even minor details.
My uncle is a garrulous storyteller who loves embellishing every event.
When she’s excited, she becomes so garrulous it’s hard to interrupt.

garrulous – describes excessive talking.
gregarious – describes sociability and enjoying company.
garrulous – excessive speaking, often without pause.
garrulous – showing contrast with a quiet person.

In conclusion, being talkative isn’t always a bad thing, but being garrulous suggests excessive and often unnecessary talking. So, start using it appropriately while taking free IELTS practice tests for writing or speech, as this word adds depth to your descriptions of people, especially when you want to highlight someone’s tendency to speak at length, often to the annoyance of others.

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