unloquacious

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌʌnloʊˈkweɪʃəs/ UK /ˌʌnləʊˈkweɪʃəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not talkative; reserved in speech

The unloquacious witness answered only in clipped phrases.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not talkative; reserved in... taciturn reticent reserved laconic quiettight-lippeduncommunicative

Opposites

loquacious talkative garrulous voluble chatty

Word family

Related forms loquacious loquacity eloquent colloquy

Etymology

From un- ('not') + loquacious, from Latin loquax ('talkative'), from loqui ('to speak').

un- Old English loquax Latin loqui Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# unloquacious

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌnloʊˈkweɪʃəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌnləʊˈkweɪʃəs/

## Meanings
1. not talkative; reserved in speech

## Examples
- The unloquacious witness answered only in clipped phrases.

## Synonyms
- taciturn
- reticent
- reserved
- laconic
- quiet
- tight-lipped
- uncommunicative

## Antonyms
- loquacious
- talkative
- garrulous
- voluble
- chatty

## Related Forms
- loquacious
- loquacity
- eloquent
- colloquy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: loquax
- Root: loqui

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + loquacious, from Latin loquax ('talkative'), from loqui ('to speak').

## AI Etymology
Unloquacious is from un- ('not') + loquacious, from Latin loquax ('talkative'), from loqui ('to speak'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), loquax (Latin), and loqui (Latin). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense is largely compositional, with the historical elements narrowing into a stable English lexical item. In current use it covers not talkative; reserved in speech. The wider family includes related words such as loquacious, loquacity, eloquent, and colloquy.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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